VFM YANG JIECHI PROTESTS U.S. ACTIONS ON TAIWAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 018771

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X6
TAGS: PGOV PREL US CH TW
SUBJECT: VFM YANG JIECHI PROTESTS U.S. ACTIONS ON TAIWAN
AND TIBET

REF: BEIJING 18141

(U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JAMES R. SASSER. REASON:
1.5(B) AND (D). EXEMPTION: 1.6X6.

SUMMARY
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1. (C) VFM YANG JIECHI CALLED IN THE AMBASSADOR
NOVEMBER 12 TO PROTEST SECRETARY RICHARDSON'S VISIT TO
TAIWAN AND THE DALAI LAMA'S WASHINGTON MEETINGS WITH
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND OTHER SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS. YANG
DESCRIBED BOTH ACTIONS AS "CATEGORICALLY UNACCEPTABLE"
AND INTERFERENCE IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. YANG
ACCUSED THE DALAI LAMA OF USING HIS U.S. VISIT TO
DISGUISE EFFORTS AIMED AT PROMOTING TIBETAN INDEPENDENCE.
YANG WARNED AGAINST UNDERESTIMATING THE SENSITIVITY OF
THE TAIWAN AND TIBET ISSUES AND SAID IT WAS IN OUR MUTUAL
INTERESTS TO KEEP BILATERAL RELATIONS IN "GOOD SHAPE."
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) VFM YANG JIECHI CALLED IN THE AMBASSADOR
NOVEMBER 12 TO REGISTER PROTESTS REGARDING SECRETARY
RICHARDSON'S VISIT TO TAIWAN AND THE DALAI LAMA'S
WASHINGTON MEETINGS WITH THE PRESIDENT AND OTHER SENIOR
U.S. OFFICIALS. (YANG ORIGINALLY ASKED TO SEE THE
AMBASSADOR ON NOVEMBER 11, BUT A MEETING COULD NOT BE
ARRANGED. MFA, HOWEVER, WAS DETERMINED TO REGISTER ITS
PROTEST THAT DAY AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL CHEN
MINGMING DID SO THAT EVENING WITH THE ACTING DCM.)

"SERIOUS CONCERN AND STRONG RESENTMENT"
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3. (C) YANG COMPLAINED THAT, BY SENDING SECRETARY
RICHARDSON TO TAIWAN AND ALLOWING THE DALAI LAMA TO VISIT
THE UNITED STATES, THE U.S. HAD DISREGARDED CHINA'S
OPPOSITION AND REPRESENTATIONS (REFTEL). YANG EXPRESSED
CHINA'S "SERIOUS CONCERN AND STRONG RESENTMENT AT THESE
WRONG ACTIONS." HE ADDED THAT HE HAD BEEN "INSTRUCTED TO
MAKE A PROTEST" WHICH HE HOPED THE AMBASSADOR WOULD
REPORT IMMEDIATELY TO WASHINGTON.

TAIWAN: VIOLATION OF THREE COMMUNIQUES
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4. (C) ON TAIWAN, YANG RESTATED CHINA'S OPPOSITION TO
ANY OFFICIAL CONTACT OR DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN, ESPECIALLY CABINET-
LEVEL VISITS. YANG "DEMANDED" THAT THE UNITED STATES
LIMIT ITS RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN TO UNOFFICIAL TIES. YANG
PROTESTED SECRETARY RICHARDSON'S VISIT, HIS MEETINGS WITH
LEE TENG-HUI AND OTHER SENIOR TAIWAN OFFICIALS, AND
RICHARDSON'S "OUTRAGEOUS REMARKS ON MANY OCCASIONS."
THIS WAS A VIOLATION OF THE THREE COMMUNIQUES AND THE
U.S. COMMITMENT NOT TO HAVE OFFICIAL RELATIONS WITH
TAIWAN.

TIBET: SUPPORT FOR SEPARATISM
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5. (C) ON TIBET, YANG DESCRIBED THE DALAI LAMA AS A
"POLITICAL EXILE ENGAGED IN SPLITTISM WHO ADVOCATED
TIBETAN INDEPENDENCE." YANG SAID THE DALAI LAMA WAS
USING THE PROSPECT OF CONTACTS AND NEGOTIATIONS WITH
BEIJING TO CARRY OUT "PROPAGANDA" AND TO DISGUISE HIS
"DECEPTIVE TRICKS." ACCORDING TO YANG, THE U.S.
WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THE DALAI LAMA'S VISIT AND TO
ARRANGE MEETINGS WITH THE PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND
SECRETARY OF STATE, AMOUNTED TO "FLAGRANT CONNIVANCE AND
SUPPORT FOR THE DALAI LAMA'S SPLITTIST ACTIVITIES." THIS
WAS A VIOLATION OF U.S. STATEMENTS THAT IT RECOGNIZED
TIBET AS PART OF CHINA AND DID NOT SUPPORT INDEPENDENCE
FOR TIBET, YANG ALLEGED.

YANG SAYS U.S. SHOULD "CORRECT ITS MISTAKES"
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6. (C) SUMMING UP, YANG SAID THAT THE U.S. ACTIONS
CONTRAVENED INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF NON-INTERFERENCE
IN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, MUTUAL RESPECT FOR TERRITORIAL
SOVEREIGNTY AND INTEGRITY, AND "HURT THE FEELINGS" OF THE
CHINESE PEOPLE. HE VOICED "STRONG OPPOSITION" TO THE
"CATEGORICALLY UNACCEPTABLE" U.S. ACTIONS. YANG SAID
THAT THE UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT INTERFERE IN OR
ENTRENCH UPON CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. HE "DEMANDED"
THAT THE UNITED STATES ABIDE STRICTLY BY THE THREE
COMMUNIQUES AND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES GOVERNING
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. YANG CLOSED BY CALLING ON THE
UNITED STATES TO "CORRECT ITS MISTAKES" AND FURTHER
IMPROVE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS WITH CONCRETE ACTIONS.
ADDING A "PERSONAL THOUGHT," HE STRESSED THE SENSITIVITY
OF TAIWAN AND TIBET TO BEIJING AND CAUTIONED US AGAINST
MAKING "WRONG CALCULATIONS" AND NOT "REPEAT PAST
MISTAKES." IT WAS IN OUR MUTUAL INTERESTS, YANG SAID, TO
KEEP THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IN "GOOD SHAPE."


7. (C) THE AMBASSADOR ASSURED VFM YANG THAT CHINA'S
VIEWS WOULD PROMPTLY BE REPORTED TO WASHINGTON.


8. (C) VFM YANG TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF A SUBSEQUENT
MEETING NOVEMBER 12 WITH U/S HOLUM (SEPTEL) TO SIMILARLY
PROTEST THE DALAI LAMA AND RICHARDSON VISITS.

COMMENT
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9. (C) AS WAS THE CASE WHEN WE RECEIVED OUR LAST
PROTEST FROM YANG ONLY TWO WEEKS AGO (REFTEL),HIS
PRESENTATION TODAY WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD AND FREE OF
EMOTION. THE MEETING HAD THE ADDED VIRTUE OF BREVITY, AS
YANG WENT THROUGH HIS POINTS IN ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES.
THIS IS NOT TO DOWNPLAY, HOWEVER, BEIJING'S UNHAPPINESS
WITH THESE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. MFA DEPUTY DIRECTOR
GENERAL CHEN MINGMING TOLD ACTING DCM NOVEMBER 11 THAT
SERIOUS CONSIDERATION HAD BEEN GIVEN TO CANCELING U/S
HOLUM'S ON-GOING BEIJING TALKS TO DEMONSTRATE BEIJING'S
DISPLEASURE. ACCORDING TO CHEN, THIS OPTION WAS REJECTED
AS THE AMERICAN AFFAIRS DIVISION CONVINCINGLY ARGUED THAT
STOPPING THE TALKS WOULD DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.


SASSER