VZCZCXRO0291
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #6347/01 2702223
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 272223Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2250
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 006347 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EAP/PD FOR NIDA EMMONS 
HHS FOR OGHA/STEIGER AND PASS TO FDA/LUMPKIN 
USDA FOR FSIS/RAYMOND 
USDA FOR FAS OA/YOST, OCRA/ALEXANDER, OSTA/BRANT AND 
SHNITZLER 
COMMERCE FOR ITA/HIJIKATA AND CINO 
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR NHTSA ABRAHAM/KRATZKE 
STATE PASS CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY COMMISSION RICH 
O'BRIEN/INTL PROGRAMS 
STATE PASS USTR CHINA OFFICE/TIM WINELAND 
STATE PASS OMB/INT'L AFFAIRS 
STATE PASS HOMELAND SECURITY COUNCIL 
STATE PASS IMPORT SAFETY WORKING GROUP 
 
E.O. 12958: n/a 
TAGS: TBIO EAGR ECON ETRD BEXP CH
SUBJECT: AQSIQ VICE MINISTER DISCUSSES SALMONELLA AND 
SOYBEANS 
 
Ref: A. Beijing 3252 
 
¶B. Beijing 3406 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  General Administration of Quality Supervision, 
Inspecion, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) Vice Minister Wei Cuanzhong 
discussed with FAS Mincouns 
September 26 the issue of poultry import restrictions in both 
countries, salmonella-contaminated Chinese fish exports, possible 
contamination of recent U.S. soybean shipments to China, and the 
negative test results of China's pet food testing for melamine. 
The conversation occurred during a four-day AQSIQ-sponsored visit to 
food, textile, and toy processing and manufacturing facilities in 
Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as to local AQSIQ (or "CIQ") offices 
and laboratories in the province.  FAS Mincouns, Guangzhou econoff, 
and Beijing econoff participated in the visit (septel).  As they 
have 
in past meetings, both sides acknowledged that cooperation and 
communication are key to resolving differences.  VM Wei announced 
that a Food Safety Summit will be held in Beijing late November, 
possibly timed to coincide with a visit by the EU Commissioner and 
other EU officials at that time, but did not provide further 
details.  End Summary. 
 
Poultry and Aquaculture: 
The Salmonella Connection 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) FAS Mincouns in a September 26 meeting with Vice Minister 
Wei expressed concern about the delisting of poultry plants because 
of pathogens and suspension of seven U.S. states as eligible to 
export poultry to China because of low pathogenic avian 
influenza (LPAI).  Wei said that the two sides addressed this issue 
in September's food safety bilaterals in Washington and in recent 
USDA meetings with AQSIQ Minister Li Changjiang. AQSIQ's Bureau of 
Import/Export Food Safety is considering science-based ways to 
address the issue, Wei said, noting that the root of the problem is 
the difference 
in national standards. Mincouns suggested that AQSIQ consider two 
possible solutions: (1) the adoption of U.S. testing procedures for 
salmonella, or (2) the adoption of a model similar to what USDA has 
implemented with Russia for pathogen sampling and testing 
methodology. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Vice Minister Wei, in turn, expressed concern about the 
lack of movement of China's 2004 request to export poultry to the 
United States and pending U.S. legislation that would preemptively 
restrict those exports.  Wei said the United States indicated in 
2004 that they would need 5 months to review the import of Chinese 
poultry, but said that China was informed during the food safety 
bilaterals that the rule was still in USDA's clearance procedures. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  On aquaculture, Import and Export Food Safety Bureau 
Deputy Director General Li Chaowei noted that, like U.S. poultry 
exports to China, China's aquaculture exports to the United States 
sometimes contain salmonella, leading to the detention or 
destruction of those imports.  Li acknowledged that salmonella in 
aquaculture products, 
as in poultry, could be eliminated by the consumer through the 
cooking process.  He suggested that a bilateral discussion of 
salmonella be broadened to include both aquaculture and poultry 
products.  Offering to follow-up on this issue upon return to 
Beijing, Mincouns stated that this kind of 
cooperation exemplifies the cooperation the 
two sides should have on these kinds of complex issues. 
 
Soybean Contamination 
 
BEIJING 00006347  002 OF 003 
 
 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Regarding China's possible detection of live Trogoderma 
granarium beetles, other live insects, and quarantine weeds such as 
Ambrosia sp. in recent U.S. soybean shipments to Guangzhou, Mincouns 
noted that Trogoderma granarium is not known to occur in United 
States, but is suspected to be found in Asia.  He assured VM Wei 
that U.S. researchers and entomologists were taking this very 
seriously and, after studying the alleged infestation, would inform 
the Chinese side of results, cautioning that the 
contamination may be from the shipping container.  VM Wei emphasized 
that the increase in importation of U.S. soybeans, totaling 13 
million tons in 2006, could naturally lead to an increase in the 
detection of problems.  AQSIQ wants to cooperate with the 
United States to resolve this issue and has made the deliberate 
decision not to notify the press or the public about the issue to 
give the two sides time to resolve it.  VM Wei said he would ask the 
AQSIQ research team to speed up their efforts.   AQSIQ Department 
for Supervision on Animal and Plant Quarantine Assistant Counsel and 
Senior 
Veterinarian Feng Xueping noted that Trogoderma granarium could pose 
a serious threat to Chinese agriculture. 
 
Melamine Revisited 
and Bonsai Trees 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) On the issue of melamine contamination of pet food, Feng 
said that no U.S. or Chinese analyses had discovered melamine in pet 
food and he lamented the fact that Wal-Mart had voluntarily removed 
 
Chinese manufactured pet food from its shelves.  Some 
veterinarians, he noted, believe that the pet deaths in spring 2007 
may have been caused by coliforms such as e-coli.  Mincouns said he 
would pass this information to HHS Attache and encouraged AQSIQ to 
communicate research results and information on 
critical issues to both HHS/FDA and FAS/APHIS offices at the U.S. 
Embassy in Beijing to ensure timely treatment of sensitive issues. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Division of Foreign Affairs Director General Qi Xiuqin 
expressed concern 
about U.S. standards on bonsai trees, which Qi said were ten years 
in the making. Without elaborating, she said that China's bonsai 
exporters are unable to meet the U.S. 
standards. 
 
¶8. (U) List of Participants: 
 
Chinese Participants: 
 
Vice Minister Wei Chuanzhong, AQSIQ 
Feng Xueping, Assistant Counsel, Senior Veterinarian, Department for 
Supervision on 
Animal and Plant Quarantine, AQSIQ 
Qi Xiuqin, Director General, Division of Foreign Affairs, AQSIQ 
Li Chaowei, Deputy Director General, Import and Export Food Safety 
Bureau, AQSIQ 
Ma Wenxiu, Director, Division of Foreign Affairs, AQSIQ 
Fan Leilei, Division of Foreign Affairs 
 
U.S. Participants: 
 
FAS Minister Counselor Bill Westman 
Guangzhou Econ Officer Nolan Barkhouse 
Beijing Econ Officer Michael Pignaello 
 
 
BEIJING 00006347  003 OF 003 
 
 
RANDT