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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
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FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5326
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 032146 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USCG FOR ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN AND VICE ADMIRAL CHARLES WURSTER 
STATE FOR CHINA DESK NOAH ZARING 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHSA MARR CH
SUBJECT: U.S.-China Bilateral on Margins of Seventh North Pacific 
Coast Guard Forum, Sanya, China, October 25: Commandant Thad Allen 
and PRC Vice Minister Meng Hongwei 
 
(U) This document is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen and PRC Vice 
Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei exchanged views October 25 
on a variety of maritime safety and security topics, including 
`border security, search-and-rescue and disaster relief issues. The 
Admiral said that the U.S. was prepared to send another cutter for a 
visit in the near future and indicated the U.S. would be prepared to 
receive a Chinese vessel at an appropriate time. VM Meng asked the 
USCG to send experts to China to lecture on various aspects of 
maritime safety, security and disaster relief. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a cordial 45-minute discussion October 25, Coast Guard 
Commandant Thad Allen and Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security 
Meng Hongwei reviewed the state of the bilateral relationship and 
the prospect of adding disaster responses as a new area of 
cooperation.  VM Meng congratulated Admiral Allen, who was in Sanya 
for the Seventh North Pacific Coast Guard Forum, on recently 
assuming his position as Commandant and expressed his hope that 
cooperation between the two would be "deepened," and develop as well 
and as quickly as it had with Admiral Allen's predecessor Admiral 
Collins. VM Meng took note of the recent visit to the U.S. of 
Minister of Public Security Zhou Yongkang and of the good working 
relationships the Ministry had developed with the Department of 
Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the USCG, the 
U.S. Secret Service and other USG agencies. He praised the June 
visit of the cutter "Rush" to Qingdao under the leadership of Vice 
Admiral Wurster. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Admiral Allen congratulated VM Meng on hosting such a 
successful conference, and said that the Chinese side had set the 
bar quite high for the U.S. host two years hence. He told VM Meng 
that he agreed with the Vice Minister's observation at dinner the 
evening before about the diversity of MPS operations. The Coast 
Guard, he said, was a diverse service and it appreciated the 
willingness of MPS to help it in its dealings with other Chinese 
ministries. The Admiral thanked VM for the courtesies that had been 
extended to the "Rush" during its visit and said that the CG would 
make available another cutter next year; he also said that the CG 
was prepared for a port visit to the U.S. when MPS ships were ready. 
The Admiral offered his sympathies for the losses suffered during a 
recent typhoon off the southeast coast China. The CG and MPS had 
responsibility for disaster relief, which he called an important 
area for continuing and future cooperation. The Admiral asked VM 
Meng for Chinese views on potential areas of cooperation. 
 
¶4. (SBU) VM Meng thanked the Admiral for his expression of sympathy 
and concern and took the opportunity to congratulate Admiral Allen 
for the key role he had played during the Katrina hurricane relief 
efforts, noting that it had left an "indelible" impression in the 
minds of Chinese. China, he said, also has many disasters each year, 
including typhoons, floods, and drought and was interested in 
working with the U.S. on national disaster response. He praised the 
Admiral's suggestion for another cutter visit and said that the two 
sides could work on an appropriate location for the call. China was 
building a thousand ton vessel and when it was completed, he hoped 
that a visit to the U.S. could be arranged. VM Meng also said that 
the Ministry of Communication was the lead for Search and Rescue 
operations. The PRC was investing resources in this area, but as yet 
did not have any "at-sea" (offshore) SAR resources. He said that 
learning from U.S. experience would be valuable to the Chinese side 
and he requested that U.S. experts come to China to lecture PRC 
officials and coast guard officers. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Admiral Allen designated Captain Bernard Moreland of the 
U.S. Embassy in Beijing as the official contact for such requests, 
noting that decisions on exchanges of this sort were handled through 
the State Department. The Admiral suggested that China consider a 
cruise ship disaster as a realistic scenario for sharpening its 
disaster relief capabilities; an oil spill or a hazmat cleanup might 
also be useful. He offered to assist the MPS with access to other 
U.S. agencies. The Admiral also observed that there would be 
maritime challenges for China in preparation for the Olympics. 
 
¶6. (SBU) VM Meng said that the bilateral and the Admiral's visit had 
established a good foundation for a future visit to China. He 
expressed appreciation for the U.S. support for a safe and secure 
Olympics. An offshore SAR and work on natural disaster responses 
would be key parts of China's ongoing maritime work and, he said, he 
would forward Admiral Allen's offers of cooperation to the 
 
GUANGZHOU 00032146  002 OF 002 
 
 
appropriate Chinese agencies, especially those dealing with disaster 
response. In closing, VM Meng said that China was ready to raise 
levels of cooperation. 
 
¶7. (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
Admiral Thad Allen 
Vice Admiral Charles Wurster, Commander, CG Pacific Area 
Guangzhou Consul General Robert Goldberg 
Captain Bernard Moreland, CG Liaison, Embassy Beijing 
Commander Manny Raras, CG Pacific Area, External Affairs Officer 
Patrick Markowitz, Regional Advisor for Asia Pacific, USCG 
Ronald Feng, U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou 
 
China 
Vice Minister of Public Affairs Meng Hongwei 
Director-General, Border Control Department, Chen Weiming 
Deputy Director-General, Border Control Department, Major General 
Guo Shun 
MPS Director, International Affairs, Zhang Jufeng 
MPS Deputy Director, International Affairs, Feng Lanchang 
 
¶8. (U)  This cable was cleared by Admiral Allen's staff. 
 
GOLDBERG