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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIJING 002104 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2033 
TAGS: PHUM PREL KOLY NK BR CH
SUBJECT: THE U.S.-CHINA HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE, WORKING 
LUNCH, MAY 26, 2008: UNHRC, ICCPR, NORTH KOREA, BURMA 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR AUBREY CARLSON. REASONS 1.4 
 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1. (U) May 26, 2008; 1:30 p.m.; Beijing, Diaoyutai State 
Guesthouse 
 
¶2. (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
David J. Kramer, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, 
Rights, and Labor 
John V. Hanford, Ambassador at Large for International 
Religious Freedom 
Thomas Christensen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for 
East Asian and Pacific Affairs 
Dan Picutta, Charge d'Affairs, a.i., Embassy Beijing 
Robert K. Harris, Assistant Legal Advisor, Department of State 
Richard W. Behrend, PRM Advisor, Department of State 
Susan O'Sullivan, Senior Advisor, Bureau of Democracy, 
Rights, and Labor, Department of State 
Dan Kritenbrink, Internal Unit Chief, Political Section, 
Embassy Beijing 
Emilie L. Kao, Foreign Affairs Officer, Bureau of Democracy 
Rights, and Labor, International Religious Freedom, 
Department of State 
Jeannette M. Windon, Special Assistant, Office of Democracy 
and Global Affairs, Department of State 
Andrea Goodman, Political Officer, Bureau of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, Department of State 
Steve Goldrup, Second Secretary, Embassy Beijing 
Gregory May, Second Secretary, Embassy Beijing (notetaker) 
James Brown, Interpreter 
 
PRC 
Wu Hailong, Director General, International Organizations and 
Conferences Department, MFA 
Shen Yongxiang, Deputy Director General, International 
Organizations and Conferences Department, MFA 
Yao Maochen, Deputy Inspector of United Front Work 
Department, CPC Central Committee 
Teng Wei, Deputy Director General, Criminal Division, 
Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's 
Congress Standing Committee 
Wan Yonghai, Presiding Judge, Second Criminal Division, 
Supreme People's Court 
Sun Maoli, Deputy Director General, Legal Affairs Department, 
Ministry of Public Security 
Liu Guoyu, Deputy Director General, Prison Administration 
Department, Ministry of Justice 
Guo Wei, Director General, Foreign Affairs Department, State 
Administration for Religious Affairs 
Liu Zhengrong, Director General (acting), Internet 
Department, State Council Information Office 
Suolang Renzeng, Deputy Chief, Administration for Ethnic and 
Religious Affairs, Tibetan Autonomous Region 
Zhao Yubin, Director, North American and Oceanian Affairs 
Department, MFA 
Yan Jiarong, Director, International Organizations and 
Conferences Department, MFA 
Yao Shaojun, Deputy Director, International Organizations and 
Conferences Department, MFA 
Xu Jing, Deputy Director, International Organizations and 
Conferences Department, MFA Zheng Zeguang, Director General, 
North American and Oceanian Affairs 
Zu Yanwei, Attache, International Organizations and 
Conferences Department, MFA 
Liu Lingxiao, Attache, International Organizations and 
Conferences Department, MFA 
Fang Qiang, Interpreter, MFA 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶3. (C) China and the United States should cooperate more on 
human rights issues in the United Nations, Shen Yongxiang, 
Deputy Director General of the MFA's Department of 
International Organizations, said during a May 26 working 
lunch.  DDG Shen said the United States should reengage with 
the Council in order to improve it.  DDG Shen said China 
intends to invite the new UN High Commissioner for Human 
Rights to visit, saying there was not enough time left in 
current Commissioner Louise Arbour's term for this.  DRL 
Assistant Secretary Kramer countered that Arbour would 
welcome a chance to visit China.  DDG Shen said China will 
continue to host visits by UN Special Rapporteurs at a rate 
of one per year.  China is working toward ratification of the 
 
BEIJING 00002104  002 OF 004 
 
 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 
but must still accomplish further legal reforms, including a 
review of China's Reeducation Through Labor (RTL) system, in 
order to comply with the Covenant.  On North Korean refugees, 
Director General Wu Hailong repeated standard points that 
North Koreans in China are "economic migrants."  However, 
China has been cooperative with the UNHCR and will allow the 
remaining five North Koreans under UNHCR care to depart for 
third countries by the end of June.  EAP DAS Christensen 
urged China to press Burma to grant access to foreign 
disaster relief experts.  DG Wu said Burma continues to be 
suspicious of the United States, yet the Burmese regime is 
taking positive steps, including accepting U.S. material 
assistance.  End Summary. 
 
UN Human Rights Council 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) DDG Shen Yongxiang began the May 26 working lunch with 
an appeal that the United States and China work more closely 
in the UN Human Rights Council.  Shen argued that more 
cooperation in the UN between the United States and China in 
the area of human rights would improve the international 
image of both countries.  China is ready to work with the 
United States to promote a UN body that is "fair, objective 
and non-selective."  DDG Shen complained that, following the 
"serious crimes" carried out by rioters in Lhasa March 14, 
the United States "violated the proceedings" of the UN Human 
Rights Council by unfairly accusing China of rights 
violations in Tibet.  China hopes the United States will 
participate in a "more productive way" in the Human Rights 
Council.  China supports the current process of universal 
periodic review in the Human Rights Council, and the United 
States should take the review process seriously.  DDG Shen 
encouraged the United States to participate in the upcoming 
Durban UN World Conference Against Racism. 
 
¶5. (C) A/S Kramer responded that the United States is 
extremely disappointed in the UN Human Rights Council.  The 
periodic review process is a possible positive mechanism, but 
it is too early to tell how successful that mechanism will 
be.  On Durban, A/S Kramer said that while it will ultimately 
be up to the next administration to decide whether the United 
States participates, this would be "extremely difficult" 
unless there is a major overhaul of the approaches to be 
taken at the conference.  A/S Kramer noted that Canada has 
already announced it will skip the Durban conference and 
Israel has serious reservations.  DDG Shen said that while 
China "respects" the views of the United States and its 
disappointment with the Human Rights Council, some current 
deficiencies could have been avoided had the United States 
been more engaged at the start of the reform process.  DDG 
Shen said the United States and other Western countries 
backed the idea that the support of one-third of Human Rights 
Council members is enough to hold a special session, whereas 
China believes a 50-percent threshold would have been fairer. 
 Assistant Legal Advisor Harris said that the United States 
agreed that the Council should not have double standards or 
be politicized.  The Council should be willing to address 
fairly the most serious human rights abuses wherever they 
occur.  However, the United States believes it is a double 
standard for the Council to hold many special sessions and 
adopt one-sided resolutions concerning Israel while failing 
to hold special sessions on the most serious human rights 
problems (for example Zimbabwe).  Meanwhile, the Council in 
its first year issued only two special mechanisms mandates, 
which involved Cuba and Belarus.  As a practical matter, 
China's earlier proposal to require a 50-percent majority for 
calling special sessions would not prevent special sessions 
involving Israel.  However, a 50-percent threshold might have 
proven to be a barrier to convening special sessions 
regarding other countries with profound human rights problems. 
 
Visits by UN Commissioners, Special Rapporteurs 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6. (C) A/S Kramer urged China to host more Special 
Rapporteurs and to invite UN Human Rights Commissioner Louise 
Arbour to visit Tibet.  DDG Shen said China is "open and 
positive" about receiving a visit by the Commissioner. 
However, her term will expire this year.  China thus will 
extend an invitation to the new Commissioner.  Kramer replied 
that Arbour would welcome the chance to visit China before 
her term expires and could easily find time on her schedule. 
Harris added that the possibility of visiting Tibet is the 
reason Arbour wants to make a visit during the last months of 
 
BEIJING 00002104  003 OF 004 
 
 
her tenure.  China, DDG Shen said, also welcomes visits by 
various UN Special Rapporteurs and already has extended 
invitations to the Rapporteurs on religious freedom and 
education, among others.  China's goal is to host a visit by 
one Special Rapporteur per year.  However, China has not 
hosted such visits in the last two years while the UN Human 
Rights Council structure has been under review.  Once the 
review is complete, China will resume issuing invitations. 
However, DDG Shen added, China must balance the timing and 
sequencing of Special Rapporteur visits between the 
political, cultural and social realms.  Harris commented that 
the United States hosts on average three Special Rapporteurs 
per year and has had several visits in the past two years. 
 
ICCPR 
----- 
 
¶7. (C) China is "positive" about the International Covenant 
on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), DDG Shen asserted, and 
since signing the Covenant has been making efforts to prepare 
for ratification.  Since 2003, China has engaged in a series 
of judicial reforms that will help smooth eventual 
ratification.  However, China still must make additional 
reforms to its criminal justice system in order to comply 
with the ICCPR, and is currently reviewing its Reform Through 
Labor (RTL) system.  All of these changes will create 
favorable conditions for ratification of the ICCPR.  Finally, 
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with the 
United Nations to resolve "inconsistencies" that have been 
identified in the Chinese translation of the ICCPR.  China, 
DDG Shen averred, is even more "eager" to ratify the ICCPR 
than the United States is to ratify the International 
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). 
Harris noted that the United States has not yet announced an 
intention to ratify the ICESCR because, like China, the 
United States wants to be absolutely sure that it can 
implement all the Covenant's provisions. 
 
North Korea 
----------- 
 
¶8. (C) PRM Advisor Behrend urged China to stop repatriating 
North Korean refugees against their will, particularly those 
seeking protection from the UN High Commission for Refugees 
(UNHCR) office i China.  China should improve access for 
Nort Korean refugees to UNHCR and grant Chinese iizenship 
to children of mixed Chinese-North Korean parentage, which 
would allow them access to schools and other social services. 
 Director General Wu Hailong responded that North Koreans in 
China are not "refugees" but rather economic migrants who 
have entered the country illegally.  Nevertheless, China has 
cooperated in the cases of 30 North Koreans under UNHCR care. 
 By June, China will approve the departure to third countries 
of the remaining five North Koreans still under UNHCR care in 
China.  DG Wu urged the United States not to allow U.S. 
nationals to break Chinese law by becoming involved with 
North Korean illegal migrants.  DG Wu noted that illegal 
migrants from North Korea had in the past violated Chinese 
law by storming diplomatic compounds and international 
schools.  The ultimate solution to the North Korean problem 
is to work toward peace and stability on the Korean 
peninsula.  Once the DPRK economy develops, DG Wu predicted, 
the number of illegal border crossers from North Korea will 
decline. 
 
Burma Humanitarian Relief 
------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) EAP DAS Christensen expressed appreciation for China's 
help in convincing Burma to accept U.S. cyclone relief 
assistance.  Christensen urged China to push Burma to allow 
foreign relief workers into the country.  Though Burma has 
accepted supplies from the United States, the Burmese regime 
should also agree to accept technical experts from around the 
world.  Such experts are needed on the ground to ensure an 
effective aid operation.  DG Wu said China appreciates the 
help the USG has given to Burma.  Any international 
assistance effort, however, must respect the needs and wishes 
of Burma.  The United States has been hostile to Burma's 
development, and this, DG Wu said, has led to suspicion on 
the Burmese side.  Despite this, DG Wu continued, Burma is 
now accepting U.S. aid and recently allowed a visit by U.S. 
Pacific Command's Admiral Keating.  DG Wu observed that Burma 
remains hesitant to admit aid workers and has not granted 
entry to a team of Chinese rescue workers.  After the 
devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China has been very open 
 
BEIJING 00002104  004 OF 004 
 
 
to offers of international assistance, DG Wu said, and 
China's attitude has affected Burma.  A/S Kramer praised 
China's response to the earthquake and openness to outside 
help.  DG Wu said China's openness shows the progress China 
has made in many areas. 
PICCUTA