VZCZCXRO9173
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHGZ #0310 0670334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080334Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5874
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3791
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS GUANGZHOU 000310 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BANGKOK FOR REO, CDC, AND USAID 
HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, ELVANDER, BHAT 
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH 
PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU PREL CH
SUBJECT: Avian Influenza: Guangdong Officials Quick to 
Criticize UC-Irvine Claim that Guangdong is the Source 
 
Ref: A) 07 Beijing 1387 
 
     B) 06 Beijing 23469 
 
(U) This message is Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Guangdong Province officials denied the University 
of California- Irvine (UCI) report released on March 5 that 
the original and some subsequent strains of the H5N1 virus 
originated in Guangdong.  The rapidity of the denial suggests the 
sensitivity of the issue, especially for a province where economic 
well-being, foreign investment, tourism, trade and trade fairs can 
potentially be compromised by a failure to control pandemic disease. 
 This denial is consistent with others:  in Guangdong following the 
publication of similar conclusions in a U.S.-China scientific study 
in February 2006 and in Fujian in late October 2006 with regard to 
the prevalence of a "Fujian-like" strain of the virus.  While this 
latest denial is frustrating to researchers and highlights the lack 
of transparency and openness even after post-SARS promises to share 
information, valuable opportunities still exist for coordination and 
cooperation with South China public health officials and 
organizations. 
 
¶2. (SBU) We urge researchers to continue inviting Chinese 
universities, labs, and public health departments to 
collaborate on or contribute to future studies of this 
kind.  This will help engender a more cooperative 
atmosphere, though is unlikely to eliminate the knee-jerk 
impulse of Chinese officials to deny anything that sheds an 
unflattering light on China. 
 
GOLDBERG