VZCZCXRO3887
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3664/01 3112319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 072319Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1946
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 023664 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL CH
SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 7 MFA BRIEFING ON HU JINTAO VISIT TO APEC, 
VIETNAM, LAOS, INDIA AND PAKISTAN 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  On November 7, Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai 
held a special briefing to announce President Hu Jintao?s 
plans to visit Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan in 
conjunction with his attendance at the November 17-19 APEC 
Leaders Summit in Hanoi.  Hu will pay state visits to 
Vietnam from November 15 to 17 and to Laos from November 
19 to 20 November, after which he will visit India on 
November 20-23 and Pakistan on November 23-26.  Cui 
announced that Hu will hold several bilateral meetings on 
the margins of the 14th APEC Summit, including with 
President Bush and Japanese PM Abe.  End Summary. 
 
Vietnam 
------- 
 
¶2.  President Hu will pay a state visit to Vietnam from 
November 15-17 at the invitation of Communist Party of 
Vietnam Central Committee General Secretary Nong Duc Manh 
and Socialist Republic of Vietnam President Nguyen Minh 
Triet, Cui said.  Hu will meet with top leaders, issue a 
joint statement and sign a series of bilateral agreements. 
The visit, President Hu?s first after the 10th Congress of 
Vietnam?s Communist Party, will focus on building mutual 
trust and furthering bilateral cooperation and partnership, 
Cui said. 
 
 
APEC 
---- 
 
¶3.  President Hu will attend the APEC Economic Leaders? 
Meeting from November 17-19 and have bilateral meetings 
with President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Abe.  AFM 
Cui ducked a reporter?s question about whether a statement 
will be made regarding North Korea at APEC, but emphasized 
APEC?s regional economic focus.  Responding to a question 
on Taiwanese participation at APEC, Cui said China believes 
Vietnam, as host, will abide by the agreed upon norms in 
the governing Memorandum of Understanding. 
 
¶4.  Cui said China?s specific goals for APEC are to jump- 
start the Doha Round of trade negotiations, to promote and 
accelerate regional trade and investment, to adopt measures 
to deal with hot issues such as epidemics, counterterrorism, 
and energy, and to reform APEC while maintaining its status 
and influence. 
 
Laos 
---- 
 
¶5.  President Hu will pay a state visit to Laos from 
November 19-20 at the invitation of Lao People's Democratic 
Republic President Choummali Saignason for meetings with 
top leaders and the President of the Laos Parliament. 
Leaders will plan future bilateral ties, release a joint- 
statement and sign a series of agreements, Cui said. 
 
India 
----- 
 
¶6.  President Hu will pay a state visit to India from 
November 20-23 for meetings with Indian President Kalam, 
Prime Minister Singh and others. He will give a speech in 
New Delhi and attend an investment summit in Bombay. 
Multiple cooperation agreements will be signed to further 
the strategic cooperative partnership between China and 
India established in April 2005. 
 
¶7.  Responding to questions, AFM Cui said both countries 
can overcome their trade, investment and border disputes. 
Progress has been made on a border settlement framework, 
but the specific date for the next round of talks have not 
been set.  This is the India-China friendship year, Cui 
said. 
 
 
Pakistan 
-------- 
 
¶8.  President Hu will pay a state visit to Pakistan from 
November 23-26, reciprocating three state visits from 
President Musharraf.  President Hu will meet with President 
Musharraf, Prime Minister Aziz, Chairman of the Senate 
Soomro and Speaker of the National Assembly Hussain, Cui 
said.  Leaders will attend the inauguration of an 
industrial park and sign a number of cooperation agreements 
building on the ?Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly 
Cooperation? signed during Wen Jiabao?s visit in 2005. 
 
 
BEIJING 00023664  002 OF 002 
 
 
South Asia Nuclear Situation 
---------------------------- 
 
¶9.  Reporters asked several questions about China?s view on 
United States-India nuclear cooperation, recognizing India 
and Pakistan as nuclear states and partnering with either 
country on peaceful nuclear energy projects.  AFM Cui said 
China believes countries which fulfill their international 
obligations can carry out nuclear energy cooperation, but 
must maintain the non-proliferation regime.  He stressed 
that China and Pakistan are ?all weather friends? with 
potential for cooperation in developing energy and 
resources.  China, a South Asian Association for Regional 
Cooperation (SAARC) observer country, believes strong 
bilateral ties with South Asian countries can promote 
cooperation between China and the region as a whole.