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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1072
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RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0709
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RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
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RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 8782
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RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 005497 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2017 
TAGS: PREL PTER MNUC PARM IR CH ZK
SUBJECT: PRC PRESIDENT TELLS IRANIAN COUNTERPART TO WORK 
WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO RESOLVE NUCLEAR ISSUE 
 
REF: A. BISHKEK 1048 
     ¶B. BEIJING 5186 
     ¶C. BEIJING 5068 
 
Classified By: (U) Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Dan Piccuta for reasons 1.4 
 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) Chinese President Hu Jintao told Iranian President 
Ahmadinejad that Iran should "answer all the concerns of the 
international community" over its nuclear program.  According 
to MFA Department of West Asian and North African Affairs 
Director General Song Aiguo, President Hu, in an August 15 
bilateral meeting on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation 
Organization (SCO) summit, noted to his Iranian counterpart 
China's commitment to a peaceful, negotiated solution to the 
Iranian nuclear issue and its interest in upholding the 
international nonproliferation regime.  Song told the DCM 
August 18 that China's view is that as long as all sides 
stick to peaceful means the Iranian nuclear issue can be 
easily solved.  The DCM responded that China and the United 
States need to do more to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear 
weapons and urged China to support a new UN Security Council 
resolution on Iran and to step up efforts to ensure that 
Chinese dual-use exports do not reach Iran.  End Summary. 
 
Atmospherics 
------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Almost immediately upon his return from accompanying 
President Hu to Central Asia, DG Song on August 18 offered 
the DCM a rare Saturday briefing.  Song said that China 
understands the great concern in Washington over Iran and is 
eager to inform the United States about the Hu-Ahmadinejad 
meeting.  Song's body language throughout the meeting 
indicated he thought the USG would be happy to hear Hu's 
remarks to Ahmadinejad.  (Song's remarks on the SCO summit 
are reported septel.) 
 
Hu: Address International Concerns 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Song said most of the two-hour bilateral meeting 
August 15 between Presidents Hu and Ahmadinejad focused on 
the nuclear issue.  Song repeated three times that the key 
point of President Hu's remarks was to urge the Iranian side 
to have a "correct reading" of the current sensitive 
situation, "to move the situation in the right direction" and 
"to be flexible and answer all the concerns of the 
international community."  According to Song, Hu acknowledged 
Iran's right to pursue a peaceful nuclear program and 
stressed to Ahmadinejad the firm Chinese commitment to a 
peaceful, negotiated diplomatic solution to the nuclear 
issue, but pointed out China's interest in upholding the 
international nonproliferation regime. 
 
Ahmadinejad: Iran Working with IAEA 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) According to Song, Ahmadinejad replied that Iran 
appreciates China's commitment to a peaceful solution, has no 
plans to develop nuclear weapons and does not seek rights 
beyond international norms and International Atomic Energy 
Administration (IAEA) standards.  Song said that China 
regards Iran's cooperation with the IAEA as a crucial factor 
and Hu urged Ahmadinejad to continue such cooperation.  Song 
concluded that China's view is "as long as all sides stick to 
peaceful means, the (Iranian nuclear) problem is not 
difficult to solve."  Song noted that inclusion of all 
parties in discussions is important to a solution and praised 
the recent meeting between the United States and Iran in Iraq. 
 
DCM: Need to Do More on Iran 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The DCM thanked Song for his readout of the Hu- 
Ahmadinejad meeting.  Iran is a top U.S. foreign policy 
concern.  Iran plays a destabilizing role in the Middle East 
 
BEIJING 00005497  002 OF 002 
 
 
and, if it develops nuclear weapons or advanced missiles, the 
situation will greatly worsen.  Therefore, the United States 
and China share a joint interest in cooperating to press Iran 
to address international concerns over its nuclear program. 
The U.S. view is that there is little hope that the IAEA 
alone can resolv the international community's concerns. 
Speciically, the United States would like China's support 
for another UN Security Council resolution now that the May 
24 deadline for Iranian compliance with relevant previous 
UNSC resolutions has long passed.  The United States would 
appreciate stepped-up PRC efforts to stop dual-use Chinese 
exports from reaching Iran.  In response, Song reiterated 
China's desire for a peaceful, negotiated solution and said 
China takes very seriously the issue of weapons exports. 
Unfortunately, he complained, the United States often seeks 
to limit exports that have nothing to do with weapons. 
However, China is ready for more discussions on this issue. 
Piccuta