JANUARY 12 MFA PRESS BRIEFING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000144 USMISSION USUN NEW YORK AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMEMBASSY VIENNA AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI NSC WASHDC CIA WASHDC DOE WASHDC SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM MNUC ETRD CH TW IR IN JA AU SUBJECT: JANUARY 12 MFA PRESS BRIEFING ¶1. Key points at the January 12 MFA press briefing were: -- China believes sanctions "cannot fundamentally resolve" the Iranian nuclear issue. -- China opposes the sheltering, by any country, of Guantanamo Uighurs because they are "members of a terrorist group." Doing so would contravene UNCSR 1373 obligations on all countries. -- China opposes official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan and urges the U.S. to treat the transit of Taiwan President Ma "prudently." -- China emphasized the "gravity" of arms sales to Taiwan and urged the U.S. to take measures to safeguard the bilateral relationship. Iran Nuclear Issue -------------- ¶2. At the January 12 regularly scheduled Foreign Ministry press briefing, MFA spokesperson Jiang Yu was asked about U.S. media reports that the USG had developed contingency plans to deal with Iran's nuclear facilities. Jiang replied that all parties should work towards a peaceful resolution through diplomatic negotiations. In the current circumstances all parties should support dialogue and seek an appropriate long-term resolution, she said. Following up, Al-Jazeera asked whether the upcoming P5+1 meeting on Iran would include discussion of new sanctions and what China's position would be on such sanctions. Jiang replied that "sanctions cannot fundamentally resolve the issue." In a separate question about a media report that a Taiwan firm had sold controlled nuclear equipment to Iran at China's request, Jiang said she was aware of the reports but had no further information. China Opposes Transfer of Guantanamo Uighurs -------------- ¶3. Voice of America asked for China's reaction to recent press reports suggesting that Switzerland may accept some Uighur Guantanamo detainees. Jiang said that China opposed the transfer of Chinese Uighurs to any third country because they are "members of a terrorist group." According to UN Security Council Resolution 1373, all UN member states should refuse shelter to those who have committed terrorist acts, Jiang said. China reminded all countries, including Switzerland, of their obligation to respect this commitment. Ma Ying-jeou Transit - Arms Sales -------------- ¶4. A reporter noted that Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou would soon transit the U.S. during an upcoming visit to Honduras. Jiang said that China opposed any official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan and urged the U.S. to abide by its commitments under the three Joint Communiques and to handle the issue "in a prudent way." China also wished to underscore the gravity of its concerns about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and urged the U.S. to take steps to safeguard the bilateral relationship, Jiang said. China's "Anti-Missile" Test -------------- ¶5. Asked whether there was any link between China's recent "anti-missile test" and reports of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Jiang said that on January 11, China had conducted a test of "anti-missile technology" within its territory. The test had not left any debris in space and was of no threat to any spacecraft in orbit. It was defensive in nature and not aimed at any country. China's pursuit of a peaceful development path was in accordance with its right to preserve its territorial integrity, Jiang said. Korean Peninsula -------------- ¶6. ROK media outlet Kyodo asked whether China would support ROK participation in any future negotiations with North Korea on replacing the armistice with a peace treaty, as suggested by the January 11 DPRK statement. China supported early resumption of the Six-Party Talks and implementation of the September 19 Joint Statement, Jiang replied, noting that safeguarding the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula was in the interest of all relevant countries. PRC-India Territorial Conflicts BEIJING 00000144 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶7. Regarding recent media reports on China-India border disputes, Jiang asserted that China and India were "friendly neighbors." She said that a consensus had already been reached and that both sides would take concrete measures to peacefully resolve territorial disputes. China would strictly abide by its commitments, Jiang said. Austrian Visit to China -------------- ¶8. Jiang announced that, at the invitation of Hu Jintao, Austrian President Heinz Fischer will visit China January 19-22. Yang Jiechi to Japan -------------- ¶9. At the invitation of Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will travel to Japan January 16-17 to participate in the 4th Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) Ministerial. HUNTSMAN