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FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0101
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0133
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 4586
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1785

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 BEIJING 004844 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2032 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM PHUM PNUC MARR IR IZ SU CH
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 23 MEETING WITH AFM HE YAFEI: 
TAIWAN, DARFUR, HUMAN RIGHTS, FOOD SAFETY AND MORE 
 
REF: A. BEIJING 4827 
     ¶B. BEIJING 4801 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. 
Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) The United States must make "firmer and clearer 
warnings" to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian not to hold the 
"dangerous" UN referendum, and giving Chen a visa to transit 
the United States would counter U.S. statements against the 
referendum, Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei told the 
Ambassador on July 23.  AFM He expressed concern that "some 
U.S. officials" are "casting doubts" on the status of Taiwan 
and also warned against U.S. weapons sales to the island. 
AFM He commented on the need for a special "mechanism" to 
allow Beijing and Washington to have instant communication in 
the event of a crisis.  On Darfur, AFM He said China does not 
believe Chapter VII authority is necessary for deployment of 
peacekeeping forces.  A July resumption of the human rights 
dialogue is unlikely because U.S. actions have "poisoned the 
atmosphere," AFM He asserted.  The execution of former State 
Food and Drug Administration Director Zheng Xiaoyu shows that 
China is serious about improving product safety, AFM He 
claimed, while also saying that the U.S. media should tone 
down its "sensational" coverage.  AFM He proposed 
working-level, diplomatic channel talks on establishing a 
military-to-military communication link.  On 
counterterrorism, AFM He stated that China would like to 
improve cooperation, but doing so is difficult because recent 
U.S. actions give the impression that Washington is trying to 
"undermine China's stability."  The Ambassador and AFM He 
also discussed Burma, the opening of AmConGen Wuhan, the 
return of Chinese fugitives and upcoming visits.  AFM He 
thanked the United States for its help with the Hai Tong 7 
rescue.  (Note: Discussion on Iran reported Ref A.)  End 
summary. 
 
Taiwan: PRC Concerns Over Referendum, Arms Sales 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2. (C) The United States, in public and in private, should 
put forth a "firmer and clearer" message against (Taiwan 
President) Chen Shui-bian's "dangerous" referendum on 
membership in the UN under the name "Taiwan," Assistant 
Foreign Minister (AFM) He Yafei told the Ambassador over 
lunch on July 23.  AFM He said China appreciates President 
Bush's repeated statements about the one China policy of the 
United States and Washington's opposition to Taiwan 
independence, as well as U.S. warnings to Taiwan not to hold 
the UN referendum.  The Chinese government has concluded, 
however, that Chen Shui-bian is going to hold the referendum, 
regardless, in total disregard for Chinese, U.S. and regional 
interests.  The United States has sent Chen a clear message, 
but Chen has not listened.  Beijing therefore hopes 
Washington will be even more firm and clear in stating its 
opposition to the referendum, AFM He said. 
 
¶3. (C) AFM He cautioned that allowing Chen Shui-bian to 
transit the United States en route to South America would 
counter previous U.S. statements against Taiwan's UN 
referendum.  Warning Chen Shui-bian on the referendum while 
at the same time giving him a "comfortable transit" would be 
"self defeating."  AFM He said he was worried that allowing 
Chen's transit would, in effect, give Chen tacit approval to 
proceed with the referendum.  China is also "not happy" with 
the recent transit of the United States by Taiwan's 
"so-called" Vice President Annette Lu and the visit by 
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate 
Frank Hsieh.  China is particularly disturbed by reports that 
Hsieh will have a meeting with Under Secretary Burns, AFM He 
stated.  Reiterating his concern over the referendum, AFM He 
said he was "personally worried" about the consequences of 
the referendum, which he equated with a "referendum on 
reunification versus independence."  In the face of this 
provocation, the Chinese government will face "growing public 
pressure" to take action.  AFM He declared that the United 
States keeps telling China to be calm, but the referendum 
could have "serious consequences." 
 
¶4. (C) AFM He complained that "some U.S. officials" in 
Washington and New York are "casting doubts" on the status of 
Taiwan by saying the United States never recognized Taiwan as 
a part of the People's Republic of China.  Acknowledging the 
complexity of the issue and its history, AFM He asserted that 
Taiwan's status as a part of China "is the basis of 
 
BEIJING 00004844  002 OF 005 
 
 
U.S.-China bilateral political relations."  China understands 
that the State Department sent a letter to the U General 
Secretariat on this issue.  China dos not want a public 
 
SIPDIS 
debate over this subject,AFM He said.  Turning to 
congressional actons on Taiwan, AFM He said he would spare 
theAmbassador the MFA's complaints about every piece of 
problematic legislation, but AFM He pointed to the "Tancredo 
Bill" as being "particulary egregious." 
 
¶5. (C) On the subject of arms sales, AFM He mentioned reports 
that the United States is considering the sale of 30 Apache 
helicopters and "offensive" F-16 C/D fighter aircraft to 
Taiwan.  China is under the impression that the United States 
will hold off on a decision until after the Taiwan 
presidential elections, but make the decision before the end 
of the current U.S. Administration, AFM He said.  The 
Ambassador responded by reiterating our one China policy 
based on the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations 
Act.  The Ambassador reminded AFM He that all parties have a 
responsibility to maintain peace and stability in 
cross-Strait relations.  China's fast-paced military buildup 
aimed at Taiwan has not helped the situation, nor has 
Beijing's attempt to restrict Taiwan's participation in 
international organizations. 
 
"Communication Mechanism" 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) A bilateral "communication mechanism" could be useful 
in the event of a Taiwan crisis, especially with the Taiwan 
elections approaching, AFM He stated, noting that Executive 
Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and Deputy Secretary 
Negroponte had discussed creation of such a mechanism at the 
recent Senior Dialogue.  To make the case for the creation of 
such a channel, AFM He said that scheduling "formal 
consultations" can take too long.  He recounted "rumors" that 
Taiwan might use one of its own submarines, disguised as a 
PLA vessel, to attack a U.S. warship in hopes of instigating 
a conflict between the United States and China.  The United 
States already has a hot-line with Taiwan, AFM He noted.  The 
Ambassador replied that the United States is interested in 
hearing more specifics about this idea.  The Ambassador 
reminded AFM He that the MFA already has several channels, 
including the Ambassador's own telephone number, to raise 
urgent concerns about any issue. 
 
Upcoming Visit by TAO Director Chen Yunlin 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (C) AFM He made a pitch for receiving the State Council's 
Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Chen Yunlin at a high 
level during his upcoming visit to the United States, which 
China hopes can take place in September.  China was 
"disappointed" at the level of Chen's meetings during his 
last trip to Washington.  Chen is a key player on 
cross-Strait policy, AFM He counseled, and it is important 
that the United States engage him. 
 
Sudan/Darfur 
------------ 
 
¶8. (C) The Ambassador urged China to support the UK draft 
resolution on Darfur before the UN Security Council.  AFM He 
(reiterating points made July 20 by Vice Foreign Minister 
Zhang Yesui to EAP A/S Hill, see Ref B) said China supports a 
concise, to-the-point resolution on Darfur that reflects the 
consensus of Sudan, the UN and the African Union.  Chapter 
VII authority for the peacekeeping force is strongly opposed 
by Khartoum.  If a peacekeeping operation is to succeed, it 
must have the support of the Government of Sudan.  Explicit 
Chapter VII authorization is not necessary for the safety of 
the force as the troops would still be able to fire in self 
defense, AFM He asserted.  The Ambassador countered that 
Chapter VII authority is necessary because peacekeeping 
forces would need to intervene if they saw refugees come 
under attack.  Peacekeepers could not simply sit and watch 
just because they themselves were not under fire, the 
Ambassador said.  MFA North American Affairs Director General 
Liu Jieyi interjected that such matters could be dealt with 
in the rules of engagement for the peacekeeping forces. 
 
Human Rights 
------------ 
 
¶9. (C) The Ambassador pressed for the resumption of a 
bilateral human rights dialogue at an appropriate level and 
noted that Ambassador at Large for International Religious 
Freedom John Hanford would like to visit China in 2007.  AFM 
 
BEIJING 00004844  003 OF 005 
 
 
He responded that resumption of the human rights dialogue 
depends very much on the "overall atmosphere of bilateral 
relations."  China was "seriously considering" resumption of 
the dialogue before a series of events, particularly 
President Bush's meeting with Rebiya Kadeer and the opening 
of the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, poisoned 
the atmosphere for such talks.  These events may appear minor 
to Washington, but to China this is "pretty serious stuff." 
Resumption of a human rights dialogue by the end of July is 
unlikely, AFM He said, but "we shall see."  The Ambassador 
urged China to decide quickly on a date for the dialogue.  In 
addition, the Ambassador urged China to allow Yang Jianli to 
return to the United States and to parole American citizen 
Jude Shao. 
 
Food/Product Safety 
------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) The Government of China is serious about food safety, 
AFM He declared, pointing to the execution of former State 
Food and Drug Administration Director Zheng Xiaoyu as proof. 
China welcomes discussion of safety protocols with the United 
States.  There are 17 to 18 agencies involved on food safety 
issues in China, AFM He said, which makes internal 
coordination a "nightmare."  Nevertheless, China has taken 
"resolute measures" against problem exporters.  These issues 
are mainly confined to small and medium-sized enterprises, 
not big companies.  AFM He complained that the U.S. media is 
feeding "protectionist sentiment" in the United States by 
"sensationalizing" the story.  China does not want to see 
"Made In China" become synonymous with "dangerous goods." 
The U.S. executive branch should "exercise its influence on 
the media" to tone down the coverage, AFM He said.  The 
Ambassador reminded AFM He of the freedoms enjoyed by the 
press in the United States.  The Ambassador urged China to be 
more candid about its problems instead of simply dismissing 
U.S. safety concerns or defending faulty Chinese products. 
The Ambassador emphasized that the Import Safety Working 
Group formed by the White House is not specifically directed 
at China. 
 
Mil-to-Mil Channel 
------------------ 
 
¶11. (C) The Ambassador and AFM He discussed the establishment 
of a new military-to-military communication channel, another 
issue discussed at the recent U.S.-China Senior Dialogue. 
AFM He said the channel would be an important 
confidence-building measure and would serve to enhance 
"strategic trust."  Such a channel would not necessarily be 
restricted to military-to-military matters, but could serve 
broader purposes.  The two sides could use such a channel to 
alert each other to missile tests or to discuss strategic 
matters in other regions, such as Africa.  AFM He suggested 
the United States and China convene meetings on the working 
level to discuss this further.  Indicating it was too early 
to involve the People's Liberation Army, AFM He recommended 
that initial discussion of such a channel stay between the 
MFA and the State Department for now. 
 
¶12. (C) The Ambassador said the USG hopes to see more 
reciprocity in mil-to-mil exchanges.  The United States 
Strategic Command has issued an invitation to Second 
Artillery Corps Commander Jing Zhiyuan, but the Chinese side 
continues to say General Jing is "too busy" to make the trip. 
 AFM He responded that China views "positively" exchanges on 
nuclear policy and strategy, but claimed that legal 
impediments remain on the U.S. side.  Specifically, AFM He 
said he understood that exchanges on nuclear strategy are 
prohibited under the "DeLay Amendment" of the 2000 National 
Defense Authorization Act. 
 
Counterterrorism, Nonproliferation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶13. (C) Many in the U.S. Government are dissatisfied with the 
one-sided nature of U.S.-China counterterrorism (CT) 
cooperation, the Ambassador told AFM He.  The United States 
frequently provides information to China but rarely hears 
anything back.  The information China does provide, 
meanwhile, is frequently out-of-date.  AFM He responded that 
China is having difficulty moving ahead with CT cooperation 
because of the widespread belief that the United States is 
trying to undermine China's stability.  Recent events raised 
concerns the United States is supporting the "enemies of 
China."  USG contacts with Rebiya Kadeer, in particular, 
reinforce this idea.  The Ambassador made clear the United 
States does not support East Turkestan independence and that 
 
BEIJING 00004844  004 OF 005 
 
 
meetings with Ms. Kadeer did not mean otherwise.  While 
saying that he personally does not believe the United States 
is out to destabilize China, AFM He said the two sides must 
build trust.  To this end, AMF He suggested a November visit 
to China by the new U.S. Counterterrorism Coordinator.  AFM 
He also suggested that the United States and China proceed 
with Director General-level consultations on CT and 
nonproliferation later this year.  He said the lifting of 
sanctions against individual Chinese companies such as China 
Great Wall Industry Corporation would help create a good 
atmosphere. 
 
Export Control Regime 
--------------------- 
 
¶14. (C) AFM He said he had met recently with Assistant 
Commerce Secretary Padilla to discuss the new U.S. export 
control regime.  AFM He said such controls reflect 
"mistrust," and Chinese companies would be unlikely to sign 
on.  The Ambassador noted that China's January anti-satellite 
(ASAT) test had undercut Beijing's arguments that such 
controls should be lifted. 
 
Burma 
----- 
 
¶15. (C) The Ambassador urged China, in the wake of the recent 
Beijing-facilitated U.S.-Burma talks, to press Burma to take 
positive steps, such as acting on UN Special Envoy Gambari's 
recommendations.  AFM He said Burma is still interested in 
continued talks with the United States.  The Burmese, AFM He 
stated, are annoyed over the public disclosure of the 
dialogue yet still want to proceed. 
 
ConGen Wuhan 
------------ 
 
¶16. (C) AFM He acknowledged that the United States can 
proceed with opening a consulate general in Wuhan under 
preexisting agreements but said the United States must give 
the MFA more clarity on the staffing of ConGen Wuhan.  A 
"one-man" consulate general is "not serious," AFM He stated, 
indicating that, in his view, the State Department should 
request funds for a "larger operation."  The Ambassador 
pushed back, noting that on the basis of reciprocity, the 
United States should be able to open an additional consulate 
general regardless of its staffing level.  AFM He said China 
is interested in opening additional consulates, including in 
Atlanta and Honolulu. 
 
Extradition 
----------- 
 
¶17. (C) AFM He inquired about six fugitives whom China has 
requested be returned to the PRC.  China is serious about 
fighting corruption and cannot let corrupt officials believe 
they can escape to a safehaven in Canada or the United 
States.  AFM He urged the United States to accelerate the 
removal of such individuals.  The Ambassador noted that we 
had in fact returned a fugitive to China in recent days. 
 
Upcoming Visits: Wu Bangguo, FM Yang Jiechi 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶18. (C) AFM He said China attaches great importance to the 
visit of National People's Congress Chairman Wu Bangguo to 
the United States, noting it will be the most important 
bilateral visit over the next 12 months.  China was pleased 
that Chairman Wu had received invitations from House Speaker 
Nancy Pelosi and Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd and 
would be received at the White House.  AFM He noted that 
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi plans to make his first visit to 
Washington as Foreign Minister October 1-2 and hopes to see 
President Bush, Secretary Rice and National Security Adviser 
Hadley. 
 
George H.W. Bush U.S.-China Relations Conference 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶19. (SBU) China is sending a high-level official, either a 
State Councilor or Vice Premier, to attend the 2007 George 
H.W. Bush U.S.-China Relations Conference October 22-25 at 
Texas A&M University.  This official, He said, should also 
make an official visit to Washington. 
 
Thanks for Hai Tong 7 Rescue 
---------------------------- 
 
 
BEIJING 00004844  005 OF 005 
 
 
¶20. (SBU) AFM He expressed China's appreciation for U.S. 
assistance in the rescue of survivors of the Hai Tong 7, a 
Chinese vessel that sank 370 miles northwest of Guam. 
Chinese consular officials already expressed thanks to Guam 
authorities, AFM He said. 
PICCUTA