VZCZCXRO5672
OO RUEHBC RUEHCN RUEHDE RUEHGH RUEHKUK RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0107/01 2641016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211016Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7662
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES IMMEDIATE 0195
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA IMMEDIATE 0479
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE IMMEDIATE 0092

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 020107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID JA IR TH LE CH
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 21 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: SINO-JAPAN 
RELATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE OLYMPICS, THAI COUP, IRAN, 
UNIFIL, LATIN AMERICA AND AID TO AFRICA 
 
 
¶1.  Key points made at the September 21 MFA press briefing 
were: 
 
-- China hopes new LDP leader Shinzo Abe will make concrete 
efforts to improve Sino-Japanese relations. 
 
--  China and Japan will hold the Sixth Round of their 
strategic dialogue in Tokyo from September 23 to 24. 
 
-- Japan's proper handling of historical issues is key to the 
development of bilateral relations. 
 
-- China claims Amnesty International,s Human Rights Report 
on China and the Olympics is biased, politically motivated, 
and factually incorrect. 
 
-- China has issued a travel warning and set up a 24-hour 
hotline for Chinese citizens affected by the coup in Thailand. 
 
--China believes EU talks with Iran have been productive and 
hope this momentum will continue towards a peaceful 
resolution. 
 
-- China is still consulting with the UN on specific 
arrangements for the arrival of troops China recently 
committed to UNIFIL. 
 
-- Chinese leaders recently met with leaders of Costa Rica, 
Peru and Argentina. 
 
-- China is committed to helping African nations and their 
people through the China-Africa Cooperation Forum. 
 
Sino-Japanese Relations 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  China hopes that Shinzo Abe, the newly-elected President 
of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will make concrete 
efforts to improve Sino-Japanese relations, MFA Spokesperson 
Qin Gang said on September 21.  The bilateral relationship is 
based on the three Sino-Japanese Joint Communiques and China 
hopes Japan will honor its commitments.  Dai Bingguo will 
meet with Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Yachi 
Shotaro at the sixth round of their Strategic Dialogue to be 
held September 23-24 in Tokyo.  Qin has no information on a 
possible meeting between Dai Bingguo and Shinzo Abe. 
 
¶3.  In response to repeated questions for further information 
on possible obstacles to Sino-Japanese relations, Qin added 
that Sino-Japanese relations are based on the "proper 
handling of historical issues, including the Taiwan issue." 
Japan has undermined the relationship's two foundations: 
using "history as a mirror for the future" and the three 
political documents between Japan and China.  Japan must 
return to these fundamentals and take concrete actions to 
improve relations. 
 
¶4. "Koizumi has bee Prime Minister for five years, and the 
chang in Sino-Japanese relations can be seen by all,"Qin 
said in response to AFP's request for an assessment of 
Koizumi.  As to whether China was optimistic or pessimistic, 
he said it would "have to watch what Abe says and does."  In 
response to a question by Tokyo News, Qin declined to comment 
on whether or not a Sino-Japanese Summit would be possible if 
Abe refuses to commit to not visiting Yasakuni Shrine.  He 
stressed that Beijing's policy has not changed and encourages 
reporters to look at previous statements.  Qin refused to 
answer a question on whether Communist Party International 
Department Director (CCID) Wang Jiarui would travel to Japan. 
 
Human Rights and the Olympics 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. Amnesty International,s (AI) September 14 Human Rights 
Report on China is biased, groundless and motivated by 
political purposes, Qin said in response to an AP reporter,s 
request for comment on AI's statement that China was failing 
to meet promises to improve human rights it had made during 
its bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.  Qin said it was too 
narrow to say China was only making an effort to improve 
human rights in order to win the Olympic Games, noting that 
respect for human rights was enshrined in China,s 
constitution.  Preparation for the 2008 Games is proceeding 
in an orderly fashion and China is fulfilling its commitment 
and showing it has the capacity to hold a successful Olympic 
Games. 
 
 
BEIJING 00020107  002 OF 002 
 
 
Military Coup in Thailand 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. Political changes in Thailand are internal affairs and 
China remains committed to a policy of non-interference, Qin 
said.  As a friendly neighbor, China hopes Thailand will 
experience harmony, prosperity and peace.  China has set up a 
24-hour hotline for Chinese citizens and issued a travel 
alert on its website advising visitors to Thailand to 
reschedule travel.  The Chinese Embassy in Thailand will 
remain vigilant and provide all necessary assistance to 
Chinese citizens, including Hong Kong residents. 
 
New Iran Deadline? 
------------------ 
 
¶7.  Qin responded to an AFP reporter,s statement that China 
and other interested countries had set a new deadline for 
Iran by stating that he had not heard of any such news.  Qin 
said China,s position on the Iran nuclear issue, 
specifically that diplomatic consultations and negotiations 
would resolve the issue, remained unchanged.  He noted that 
European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and 
Security Policy Javier Solana,s recent talks with Iran had 
been productive and that he hoped would maintain the momentum 
towards a peaceful resolution.  He hoped all parties would 
express restraint and flexibility in the meantime. 
 
UNIFIL 
------ 
 
¶8.  China is still consulting with the UN on specific 
arrangements for the arrival of the troops China recently 
committed to the Lebanon reconstruction effort, Qin told the 
AFP reporter asking for an update on the issue. 
 
Latin America 
------------- 
 
¶9. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met Costa Rican President 
Oscar Arias Sanchez at the UNGA to discuss the two countries 
work towards establishing and developing &normal 
state-to-state relations,8 Qin said.  He added that on Vice 
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi,s recent visit to Peru and 
Argentina, Yang exchanged views on bilateral relations and 
cooperation between China and their respective foreign 
ministries. 
 
Development Assistance to Africa 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶10. China is committed to helping African nations and their 
people through the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, Qin read 
from a prepared statement.  China has already written off the 
debts of 31 heavily indebted nations and President Hu has 
promised to grant low-interest loans to 39 such nations. 
China actively supports poverty alleviation programs and 
encourages other nations to do so as well.  Loans should be 
efficient and conducive to long-term development goals, 
helping recipients to develop their own capacity.  China is 
committed to technical cooperation programs and to increasing 
imports from Africa to support sustainable long-term 
development. 
RANDT