VZCZCXRO4327
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0483/01 0221209
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221209Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4021
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 000483 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SCUL PHUM KOLY KPAO KIRF CH
SUBJECT: U/S HUGHES URGES INCREASED EXCHANGES, MEDIA 
OPENNESS IN BEIJING VISITS AND MEETINGS 
 
 
 Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) During a packed two-day visit to Beijing, 
Undersecretary Karen Hughes in concert with Public 
Diplomacy Envoy Michelle Kwan visited a middle school 
classroom, Beijing University's Women's Legal Aid 
Center, a Special Olympics training facility, attended 
a church service and met with State Councilor Chen 
Zhili and State Council Information Office (SCIO) 
Director Cai Wu.  U/S Hughes advocated increased media 
freedoms, transparency and stepped up exchanges in her 
official meetings, noting the opportunity provided by 
the 2008 Olympics to showcase China's culture, 
dynamism and progress.  Her comments urging increased 
exchanges between the United States and China were 
enthusiastically welcomed at all her public events and 
media coverage of the visit was ample and positive. 
End summary. 
 
Focus on American Values, Equality 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) U/S Hughes, accompanied by Public Diplomacy 
Envoy Kwan, kicked off her packed two-day visit to 
Beijing with a January 20 visit to a middle school 
class taught by a former Fulbright grantee who is 
introducing the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. to her 
English classes.  The combined American-Chinese class 
recited "I Have a Dream" in Chinese and English and 
welcomed U/S Hughes' and PD Envoy Kwan's remarks on 
the importance of equality and diversity in America. 
The students closed the program by singing "We Shall 
Overcome" together with their visitors.  At the 
Beijing University Women's Legal Aid Center, Director 
Guo Jianmei briefed U/S Hughes on the Center's work 
and on the progress and problems in promoting gender 
equality in China.  Director Guo introduced a sexual 
harassment victim that the Center had assisted and 
detailed legal efforts on her behalf, which led to 
administrative penalties against the perpetrator and 
raised the profile of the issue.  U/S Hughes voiced 
U.S. support for the Center, stressed the important 
and positive role of NGOs in improving public 
awareness of issues like harassment and encouraged the 
Center's volunteers to continue reaching out to 
potential victims. 
 
Church and Special Olympics Visits Extend Outreach 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On Sunday, January 21, U/S Hughes stopped by 
a crowded Sunday School class prior to participating 
in services at the Kuanjie Church in Beijing.  Sunday 
School students welcomed U/S Hughes and following a 
short introduction by Minister Li (who spent two weeks 
at the Dallas Theological Seminary in 2006), U/S 
Hughes spoke briefly to the enthusiastic congregation, 
focusing on the importance of family and the role of 
women in society.  A contact at the church later told 
poloff that the local Religious Affairs Bureau had 
opposed letting U/S Hughes speak at the church, but 
relented when Minister Li told them that he would take 
full responsibility.  At a subsequent visit to the 
Beijing Sports University, U/S Hughes and PD Envoy 
Kwan awarded medals to several Special Olympics 
athletes and their comments emphasizing the importance 
of dedication and hard work were warmly received. 
 
State Councilor Chen Stresses Educational Exchange 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) During a January 21 call on State Councilor 
Chen Zhili, also attended by Vice Minister of 
Education Chen Xiaoya and MFA officials, U/S Hughes 
cited the strength and importance of United States- 
China relations, noting the close attention that 
President Bush pays to the relationship.  The United 
States welcomes the emergence of a strong, dynamic and 
vibrant China and needs China's support to address 
challenges throughout the world.  With improved 
relations, we are increasing exchanges and 
transparency and can be more frank about our 
differences, while building a constructive and candid 
bilateral partnership.  U/S Hughes noted the important 
opportunity presented by the Olympics for China to 
showcase its culture and progress.  She advocated 
increased media freedoms, noting that a free press is 
key to exposing problems that need to be resolved, and 
urged increasing cultural, educational and sports 
 
BEIJING 00000483  002 OF 003 
 
 
exchanges to further strengthen ties. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) State Councilor Chen cited the importance of 
the bilateral relationship for China and stated that 
successful and ongoing top-level exchanges between the 
leaders of the two countries have laid the foundation 
for constructive, cooperative strategic bilateral 
relations for the 21st century.  China is working hard 
to prepare for hosting a top tier Olympic Games, 
including hosting more than 10,000 journalists.  In 
addition to the new regulations on foreign 
journalists, China is committed to providing 
journalists with excellent facilities and service, in 
keeping with its commitments and international 
standards.  China will try to show its achievements 
and spirit, but won't color its difficulties, State 
Councilor Chen said.  China remains a developing 
country, it is natural that it has some problems, and 
China hopes that foreign journalists will understand 
this. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Chen said China hoped to emulate successful 
U.S. efforts to popularize sport for all its citizens 
and agreed with U/S Hughes that continued educational 
exchanges between the two countries are very 
important.  The United States remains the number one 
destination for Chinese students, Chen noted, and 
China is happy to welcome more American students to 
study in China. 
 
SCIO's Cai on Media Freedoms 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) U/S Hughes, accompanied by PD Envoy Kwan, 
complimented SCIO Director Cai Wu on the recently 
implemented rules that loosen restrictions on foreign 
journalists and urged China to extend them beyond the 
2008 Beijing Olympic Games.  U/S Hughes noted that 
increasing freedom of the press in China will help 
Americans and Chinese alike to better understand 
China's role in the world, including, for example, 
China's active partnership with the United States on 
difficult issues like nuclear programs in North Korea 
and Iran.  Pointing out that the United States and 
China share so many interests, like being the number 
one and number two energy users in the world, U/S 
Hughes stressed the need for increased transparency 
between the two governments, even in areas where we do 
not agree.  Commenting that she had just visited a 
Chinese school where students recited part of Martin 
Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, U/S Hughes 
emphasized that a free press can highlight social 
problems, such as those in Dr. King's speech, and 
bring about positive change. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Minister Cai responded that the revised 
media rules indicate a new open-mindedness in 
welcoming the world to China and have been smoothly 
implemented for the past twenty days.  Admitting that 
prior Chinese policies could be viewed as "regulating" 
foreign journalists, Cai argued the new view is to 
provide "good service" to journalists.  If the revised 
regulations promote better understanding of China and 
facilitate China's reform and stability, they could be 
extended beyond the expiration date of October 17, 
2008, said Minister Cai.  In fact, Beijing is 
currently putting on a conference with officials from 
various municipalities and provinces to discuss how to 
implement the revised rules, provide better service to 
journalists and ensure better cooperation with 
international media.  When pressed about the expiry of 
the relaxed rules in October 2008, Cai responded that 
if the revised rules promote understanding, encourage 
honest reporting and facilitate China's reform and 
stability, "why would we change them?" 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Chinese recognize that China is not perfect, 
said Cai, voicing his opinion that Chinese society is 
currently at a stage of more frequent internal 
conflict.  Shielding internal strife from foreign 
journalists will not make it go away, but Cai said he 
hoped journalists would not only report China's 
problems, but also China's unremitting efforts to 
solve them.  If reporting is objective and truthful, 
then China is not worried that foreign journalists 
will observe and report on social problems in China, 
according to Cai.  Cai complained about those who 
write negatively about China without having ever 
visited, citing in particular a BBC report alleging 
that Chinese government hospitals harvested organs 
 
BEIJING 00000483  003 OF 003 
 
 
from Falung Gong members.  U/S Hughes responded that 
in a society with free press, journalists must uphold 
standards of truthfulness but that the public also has 
free access to information with which to make up their 
own minds. 
 
¶10.  (U) U/S Hughes did not have the opportunity to 
clear this message. 
RANDT