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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311054Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1214
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0397
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6465

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 022983 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM CH PK KN
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 31 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: DPRK, CHINA-AFRICA 
SUMMIT, IRAN'S URANIUM ENRICHMENT, U.S. ARMS SALES TO 
TAIWAN, CHINA-PAKISTAN STRATEGIC DIALOGUE, CHINA'S RESERVES 
AND ASEAN, EU MEETINGS 
 
¶1.  Key Points made at the October 31 Press Briefing were: 
 
-- Japan's demand that North Korea not rejoin the Six-Party 
Talks as a nuclear power can be handled within the framework 
of the Talks. 
 
-- There has been no change in China's policy regarding the 
normal trade relations with the DPRK. 
 
-- The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit is a 
milestone in China-Africa relations.  The attendance of 
Zimbabwe President Mugabe and Sudan President Bashir at FOCAC 
is not cause for embarrassment. 
 
-- China hopes relevant parties will not take escalating 
measures amid news of Iran's continued uranium enrichment. 
 
-- U.S. arms sales to Taiwan allegedly violate the Three 
Joint Communiques and the AIT Director's recent remarks on 
the subject were "erroneous." 
 
-- Assistant Foreign Minister Cui and Pakistani Foreign 
Secretary Khan reached consensus on several important issues 
 
SIPDIS 
in their October 27 strategic dialogue. 
 
-- China will not irresponsibly use its over one trillion 
dollars in reserves to upset the global economy. 
 
-- Premier Wen and Indonesian President Yudhoyono met at the 
October 30-31 China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in Nanning. 
 
-- Premier Wen Jiabao and the EU leadership reached a 
consensus during meetings in September to map out future 
cooperation. 
 
-- President Hu Jintao sent a congratulatory note to Brazil 
President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva on his successful 
re-election. 
 
North Korea: Six-Party Talks, Border Trade 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. MFA Spokesperson Liu Jianchao reiterated China's stance 
that Six-Party Talks must restart and press ahead with the 
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.  China firmly 
believes the Talks must be resumed in order to relax 
tensions.  In reply to a Kyoto News question over how China 
will handle Japan's demand that North Korea not rejoin the 
Talks as a nuclear power, Liu said each party's concerns will 
be addressed within the process, including Japan's. 
 
¶3.  There has been no change in China's policy regarding the 
normal trade relations with the DPRK which are aimed at 
improving the livelihoods of the North Korean population, Liu 
said in response to a question about reports that China cut 
fuel exports to North Korea in September.  Liu reminded the 
reporter that in September the North Koreans had not yet 
conducted a nuclear test. 
 
¶4.  Global Radio News asked for China's position on NGO 
reports claiming the DPRK committed crimes against political 
prisoners.  Liu replied that China will follow the UN 
Charter's principles for peaceful co-existence. 
 
China-Africa Summit 
------------------- 
 
¶5. The attendance of Zimbabwe President Robert Gabriel Mugabe 
and Sudan President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir at the 
November 1-3 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was 
not cause for embarrassment said Liu.  The FOCAC Summit is a 
milestone in China-Africa relations that will promote good 
relations and cultural and economic cooperation and therefore 
should be viewed with a long-term perspective. 
 
¶6. Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos and 
Guinea-Bissau President Joao Bernardo Vieira have already 
arrived in Beijing and the latter is expected to meet with 
Premier Wen, Liu said in response to a Portuguese News Agency 
question asking if there would be any new oil agreements 
resulting from the meeting.  Responding to a follow-up 
question over whether countries that recognize Taiwan instead 
of China had been invited to the China-Africa Summit, Liu 
said that he had no information on countries that did not 
have diplomatic ties with China. 
 
¶7. Liu confirmed a Bloomberg question over planned strict 
 
BEIJING 00022983  002 OF 003 
 
 
traffic restrictions in effect during the Summit, stating 
that FOCAC was the first meeting of its kind since 1949 and 
merited such measures, including traffic control, to ensure a 
successful and smooth event.  He said the traffic controls 
will naturally affect people "a little" but that feedback 
from Beijing residents showed they understood and supported 
the measures. 
 
Iran Uranium Enrichment 
----------------------- 
 
¶8. China has taken note of the new developments in the Iran 
nuclear issue and believes that under the circumstances the 
relevant parties should not take any measures that could 
escalate the situation, said Liu in response to a question by 
AFP.  China will continue to consult other members of the UN 
Security Council on the issue. 
 
AIT Statements on Arms Sales and Taiwan Defense 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶9.  U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan violate U.S. commitments in 
the Three Joint Communiques, in particular the August 17 
communique, Liu said in a prepared statement.  Liu was 
responding to an apparently planted question by the China 
News Agency asking for comment on an October 26 press 
briefing by the U.S. AIT Director calling for Taiwan to pass 
a robust defense budget in its Fourth Legislative Session. 
Liu added that U.S. weapons sales undermine China's national 
security and the historical unification of China and Taiwan. 
 
¶10. Liu further stated that China has made solemn 
representations to the U.S. government regarding the 
"erroneous remarks" and urges the United States to strictly 
abide by the repeatedly stated comments made by President 
Bush and the U.S. government regarding the One China Policy, 
the Three Joint Communiques and the position on Taiwan 
independence.  The United States should stop its weapons 
sales to Taiwan and its military links with Taiwan, refrain 
from sending wrong signals to Taiwan secessionist forces and 
take concrete actions to maintain the peace and stability of 
the Taiwan Straits and overall interest of China-U.S. 
relations. 
 
U.S. Congressional Censure of China 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶11. The U.S. Congress should do more to be objective, 
constructive and play a positive role in promoting U.S.-China 
relations instead of making unfair judgment or comment on 
China, Liu responded to a Reuters' question about a recent 
report by the US-China Economic and Security Review 
Commission that recommended taking China to the WTO over 
currency and counterfeiting claims.  Liu added that China 
still awaits official release of the report. 
 
China Reserves Top One Trillion 
------------------------------- 
 
¶12. China is a responsible member of the global community, 
and as such, will enact politically and economically 
responsible policies, said Liu in response to a CNN reporter 
asking for reassurances that China would not take any 
measures that would upset the global economy with the over 
one trillion dollars China now has in reserves. 
 
Tibet Border Shooting 
--------------------- 
 
¶13. The relevant authorities have already briefed the press 
on the shooting incident on the Tibet-Nepal border, Liu said 
in response to an ITV London journalist stating that footage 
of the shooting demonstrates that the border troops had not 
acted in self defense.  Liu said he had nothing new to add 
except that it was the responsibility of the border troops to 
maintain tranquility and peace along the border. 
 
Recent Visit by Pakistan Foreign Secretary 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶14. Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai and Pakistan 
Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan reached consensus on a 
number of important issues during Khan's October 27 visit to 
Beijing for the second round of China-Pakistan Strategic 
Dialogue, said Liu in response to a question by an India News 
reporter. 
 
 
BEIJING 00022983  003 OF 003 
 
 
Recent Visit by Indonesian President Susilo 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶15. Premier Wen Jiabao and Indonesian President Susilo 
Bambang Yudhoyono met October 30-31 at the China-ASEAN 
Commemorative Summit in Nanning, Guangxi and discussed the 
maturing bilateral relationship and mutual interest to expand 
economic cooperation, including trade and infrastructure 
projects.  Liu made the statement in response to a query by 
Global Radio News asking if any energy agreements had been 
reached. 
 
September Talks between EU-China 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶16. Premier Wen Jiabao and the EU leadership reached a 
consensus during meetings in September to map out future 
cooperation between the two parties, said Liu, in response to 
a Bloomberg question asking for China's hopes regarding the 
renegotiated terms of the China-EU strategic dialogue. 
 
Congratulations Sent to Brazilian President 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶17. President Hu Jintao and Vice President Zeng Qinghong both 
sent congratulatory notes to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio 
Lula Da Silva and his vice president on their re-election, 
said Liu in response to a query by a Brazilian reporter. 
They expressed their hope that the recent progress in 
China-Brazil relations would continue to progress for the 
future. 
Randt