VZCZCXRO6311
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2059/01 0861054
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271054Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6237
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 0216
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6532
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0703
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 8602
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4308

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MNUC CH KN KS JA RS ST SP IN PK
SUBJECT: MARCH 27 PRESS BRIEFING: SIX-PARTY TALKS, PM WEN 
TO ROK AND JAPAN, EAST CHINA SEA TALKS, JCS GENERAL PACE 
VISIT, CHINA-RUSSIA JOINT STATEMENT, TAIWAN-ST. LUCIA 
RELATIONS, VISITS 
 
¶1. Key points made at the March 27 MFA press conference were: 
 
-- The MFA Spokesman said no date has been set for the next 
round of Six-Party Talks, discussed DAS Glaser's visit on the 
Banco Delta Asia issue and ducked other questions about why 
last week's Talks broke down. 
 
-- Premier Wen will visit the Republic of Korea April 10-11 
and to Japan April 11-13.  The seventh round of East China 
Sea Talks will be held in Tokyo March 29. 
 
-- United States' Joint Chiefs of Staff General Pace met with 
FM Li and visited Nanjing and Shenyang. 
 
-- The China-Russia Joint Statement enshrines both countries' 
consensus on energy cooperation and will benefit 
international energy markets. 
 
-- China strongly opposes recent contacts between Taiwan and 
St. Lucia. 
 
-- FM Li will visit Pakistan April 1-2 and New Delhi April 
3-4. 
 
-- Spanish First Deputy Prime Minister de la Vega will visit 
China April 2-8 for opening ceremonies of the "Year of Spain 
in China." 
 
Six-Party Talks; DAS Glaser in Beijing 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. MFA spokesman Qin Gang said at the March 27 regular press 
briefing that relevant parties are having consultations on 
the Banco Delta Asia (BDA) issue and the resolve of all six 
parties to the Six-Party Talks remains unchanged.  No date 
for the next round of Talks has been set.  Asked about 
Treasury DAS Glaser's meetings with the People's Bank of 
China, MFA, DPRK officials and China's Bank Regulatory 
Commission, the spokesman only confirmed Glaser was meeting 
with relevant parties and departments.  Qin deflected 
detailed questions on BDA and declined to comment on a 
question alleging that Russia's head of delegation blamed the 
United States for the breakdown in Talks. 
 
PM Wen to Visit ROK and Japan 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3. Premier Wen will visit the Republic of Korea April 10-11 
then travel to Japan April 11-13 at the invitation of 
President Roh and PM Abe, respectively.  He had no details 
about Premier Wen's schedule.  The seventh round of East 
China Sea Talks will begin March 29 in Tokyo and be led by 
MFA DG for Asia Hu Zhengyue and Japan DG Kinichiro Sasae, 
announced Qin. 
 
¶4. Asked if Wen and Abe would discuss Japan's bid for a 
permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Qin said this was 
a UN issue to be handled multilaterally and required patience 
to come to a consensus.  China's cooperation with Southeast 
Asian countries should not threaten any third party and is 
conducted according to the policy of building mutual trust, 
Qin said, noting that he had not read a recent Japanese 
military report labeling a rising China as a threat to Japan. 
   China hopes to further joint efforts to promote peace and 
stability in the region.  Qin did not answer questions about 
the Japan-DPRK abduction issue, PM Abe's statements on 
comfort women or China's goals for the East China Sea talks. 
 
JCS General Pace's Visit 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Pace met with FM Li 
and visited Nanjing and Shenyang military districts as part 
of military exchange between China and the United States, 
said Qin.  He referred reporters to relevant departments for 
specifics on General Pace's activities in Shenyang and 
Nanjing. 
 
China-Russia Joint Statement: Consensus on Energy Coop 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶6. China and Russia energy cooperation is an important part 
of bilateral relations and is being discussed along with 
other regional and international issues during President Hu's 
 
BEIJING 00002059  002 OF 002 
 
 
ongoing state visit to Russia, Qin said.  Both countries have 
reached a consensus on energy cooperation, a point enshrined 
in the recently signed Joint Statement.  Cooperation between 
China, the world's second largest oil consumer, and Russia, 
the world's second largest oil producer, serves the benefits 
of both countries and the international energy market. 
 
Taiwan "FM" to St. Lucia, Possible Military Sale 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶7. Qin said the PRC's Ambassador to St. Lucia expressed 
Beijing's dissatisfaction over Taiwan's "so-called Foreign 
Minister" James Huang's visit to the Caribbean nation, a move 
which violates joint communiqus between St. Lucia and China 
and has upset the Chinese people.  This "attempt" of some in 
Taiwan to establish two Chinas for "political aims" will 
never succeed, he said.  St. Lucia should abide by the "one 
China" principle for the good of the bilateral relationship. 
 
¶8. Beijing strongly opposes official contact and military 
relations with Taiwan, the spokesman said when asked for 
comment on the possibility of Taiwan selling fighter jets to 
the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala and Chile.  Beijing hopes 
these countries will properly handle the issue in accordance 
with the "one China" principle, he said. 
 
FM Li to Attend SAARC as Observer and Visit Pakistan 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶9. FM Li will attend the 14th annual summit of South Asian 
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in New Delhi 
April 3-4 at the invitation of the Indian government, 
following a visit to Pakistan April 1-2 at the invitation of 
FM Kasuri, announced Qin.  This is the first time China is 
attending the summit as an observer.  Asked by Indian 
reporters to elaborate on China's role in SAARC, Qin 
emphasized the importance of the regional cooperative 
organization and China's support as a friendly neighbor. 
China will make its own positive contribution to the 
stability and prosperity of SAARC following a policy of 
equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, he said. 
 
Spanish Deputy PM de la Vega to Visit China 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10. Spanish First Deputy Prime Minister de la Vega will visit 
China April 2-8, traveling to Xian and Beijing, announced 
Qin.  De la Vega will meet with PM Wen and State Councilor 
Tang and attend the opening ceremony of the "Year of Spain in 
China."  The activities will promote mutual friendship and 
understanding strengthening the two countries' strategic 
partnership and cooperation in various fields including 
education, politics, trade and culture, said Qin responding 
to a Spanish journalist's request for more details. 
RANDT