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FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6027
INFO ALAFD/ALL AF DIPLOMATIC POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 018680 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM CH KN
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 5 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: SIX-PARTY TALKS, 
KIM JONG IL RUMORS, CANWFZ, SINO-AFRICAN RELATIONS AND THE 
P5+1 
 
¶1.  Key points made at the September 5 MFA press briefing are 
as follows: 
 
-- China continues to support the Six-Party Talks and remains 
dedicated to the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. 
 
-- China believes the Six-Party Talks, not sanctions, is the 
most effective way to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean 
Peninsula. 
 
-- Spokesperson Qin Gang neither confirmed nor denied rumors 
that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is currently in China. 
 
-- China supports a Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone 
(CANWFZ). 
 
-- The 6th Forum on China-African Cooperation (FOCAC) will be 
held November 3-5 in Beijing.  China enjoys a positive and 
dynamic momentum of rapidly developing cooperation with 
African nations. 
 
-- The China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit will take place in 
Nanning, Guangxi on October 30. 
 
-- MFA Arms Control and Disarmament Department Director 
General Zhang Yan will attend the September 7 P5 1 meeting in 
Berlin to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue. 
 
-- Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom will visit 
Beijing September 11-13. 
 
-- Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi will visit China 
September 13-18. 
 
A/S Hill's Visit, the DPRK, and Six-Party Talks 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2.  Questioned several times at the MFA's regularly scheduled 
press briefing about the purpose of A/S Hill's upcoming visit 
and whether rumors of an impending nuclear test by the DPRK 
had prompted the visit, MFA Spokesman Qin Gang stated that 
China continues to support the Six-Party Talks and remains 
dedicated to the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. 
China hopes all parties will show flexibility and pragmatism 
and work toward an early resumption of talks.  China has been 
in continual contact with all the parties, Qin stated. 
 
¶3.  China opposes sanctions, Qin answered, when asked if 
Beijing supports applying economic pressure to the DPRK to 
urge it to resume dialogue.  China believes the Six-Party 
Talks is the most effective way to resolve the nuclear issue 
on the Korean Peninsula, Qin said.  This process requires 
wisdom and patience, he added. 
 
¶4.  Qin said that A/S Hill will arrive on September 5 to 
discuss the Six-Party Talks as well as U.S.-China relations 
with VFM Wu Dawei, AFM Cui Tiankai and AFM He Yafei. 
 
¶5.  The 1961 Mutual Cooperation Treaty between China and the 
DPRK "plays a large role" in Sino-DPRK relations, Qin stated 
when asked by the VOA if China would defend the DPRK if it 
were attacked by a third party.  China will continue to work 
with the DPRK to maintain peace and stability on the Korean 
Peninsula, he said. 
 
¶6.  Qin Gang would neither confirm nor deny rumors that North 
Korean leader Kim Jong Il is in China, saying only that China 
had "no such arrangement" to directly invite Kim Jong Il to 
Beijing. 
 
CANWFZ 
------ 
 
¶7. When asked China's position on the Central Asian 
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ), Qin said that China 
supports the CANFWZ and enjoys good relations with all five 
Central Asian countries that will sign the CANWFZ treaty on 
September 8 in Kazakhstan. 
 
Sino-African Relations 
---------------------- 
 
¶8.  Qin announced that the 6th Forum on China-African 
Cooperation (FOCAC) will take place November 3-5 in Beijing. 
The theme of the forum will be friendship, peace, cooperation 
and development.  China and African leaders will meet on the 
sidelines of the summit to discuss continued cooperation in 
several areas of mutual benefit.  Against a backdrop of 
recent high level exchanges, the upcoming forum will provide 
 
BEIJING 00018680  002 OF 002 
 
 
a venue to exchange views on shared economic interests and 
major international issues, Qin added.  The FOCAC is the most 
effective mechanism for bilateral dialogue, Qin said, and 
Beijing "strongly" supports the upcoming event. 
 
ASEAN Summit 
------------ 
 
¶9.  The China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit will be held in 
Nanning, Guangxi on October 30, Qin announced.  Premier Wen 
Jiabao, the representatives of 10 ASEAN countries and the 
ASEAN Secretary General will attend.  At the summit, leaders 
will discuss development and cooperative relations, he noted. 
 
China-EU Trade Relations 
------------------------ 
 
¶10.  Qin referred questions on WTO Chief Pascal Lamy's 
Beijing visit to the Ministry of Commerce, but confirmed that 
Minister Bo Xilai's meetings with Lamy focused on Sino-EU 
trade relations. 
 
Iranian Nuclear Talks 
--------------------- 
 
¶11.  MFA Arms Control and Disarmament Department Director 
General Zhang Yan will attend the September 7 P5 1 meeting in 
Berlin, Qin stated, when asked China's position on the 
Iranian nuclear issue.  China supports resolution of the 
dispute through peaceful dialogue, he added. 
 
Visits 
------ 
 
¶12.  Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom will visit 
Beijing September 11-13. 
 
¶13.  Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi will visit China 
September 13-18. 
 
 
 
 
RANDT