VZCZCXYZ2596
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBJ #0746/01 0610413
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 010413Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5399
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1669
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3307
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4269
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1828

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 000746 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2027 
TAGS: PREL PGOV CH FR GM JA UK SU
SUBJECT: BEIJING-BASED G-5 CHIEFS OF MISSION ON POISONED 
DUMPLINGS, EAST CHINA SEA, VISITORS, ETC. 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) At the February 29 bi-weekly G-5 Beijing-based Chiefs 
of Mission gathering, Japanese DCM Kunio UMEDA described the 
downturn in Sino-Japanese bilateral relations in the wake of 
the poisoned dumpling scandal.  China and Japan are now 
moving towards consensus on East China Sea oil issues.  China 
and Japan also recently held a high-level military dialogue. 
French Ambassador Ladsous said the outcry resulting from a 
case of rough police treatment of a pair of Chinese tourists 
in France highlights rising Chinese nationalism.  Ladsous was 
impressed by Chinese Special Envoy for Darfur Liu Guijin, 
calling him "candid and knowledgeable."  The German Embassy 
will receive several high-level visitors in the upcoming 
months, including a Bundestag visit to Tibet.  End Summary. 
 
Participants 
------------ 
 
¶2. (C) French Ambassador Herve Ladsous hosted German 
Ambassador Dr. Michael Schaefer, Japanese DCM Kunio Umeda and 
the Ambassador November 2 for the bi-weekly G-5 gathering of 
Beijing-based Chiefs of Mission.  Because of British 
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Milliband's 
 
SIPDIS 
visit to China, the UK Embassy did not send a representative 
to the meeting. 
 
Poisoned Dumplings Causing Bilateral Strife 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Japanese DCM Kunio Umeda said the recent poisoned 
dumplings scandal is seriously damaging Japan's relationship 
with China.  The Japanese are distributing fact sheets on the 
incident that give details of the Japanese investigation into 
the pesticides found in Chinese dumplings exported to Japan. 
Chinese police insist that a "comprehensive and thorough 
investigation" has revealed "no credible evidence" that the 
dumplings were laced with insectide in China, despite the 
evidence Japan has provided.  Umeda described Chinese 
propaganda on the issue as a "well-organized counterattack" 
designed to avoid responsibility or liability.  Umeda said he 
believes the Communist Party's Organization Department is 
directing the campaign.  The lack of Chinese 
confidence-building measures has caused many Japanese 
consumers to begin avoiding Chinese-made dumplings.  Umeda 
reported that the conflict over the dumplings has "poisoned 
the atmosphere" in bilateral relations. 
 
East China Sea: Strategic Dialogue 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Japan and China held a Vice Foreign Minister-level 
strategic dialogue February 22-23, partly to lay the ground 
work for a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao.  Deputy 
Foreign Minister Yabunaka Mitoji headed the Japanese 
delegation and met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang 
Yi.  China chose early May for Hu's visit to Japan, which was 
the latest time offered by Japan.  This later date will allow 
the most time for the dumplings issue to fade, as well as 
give the two sides more time to work through issues related 
to oil exploration in the East China Sea.  Umeda said that 
the two sides have reached agreement on the issue, but are 
awaiting political approval on both sides.  As such, Foreign 
Minister Yang Jiechi will travel to Japan March 24-25, in 
advance of Hu Jintao's visit.  Umeda further noted that both 
sides are having difficulty reaching agreement on joint oil 
development in the East China Sea because of the 
"deteriorating atmosphere" of the bilateral relationship 
caused by the poisoned dumplings. 
 
Sino-Japanese Mil-to-Mil Dialogue 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Office of the 
Japanese Self Defense Force Saito Takashi met his PLA 
counterpart, Chief of Staff Chen Bingde, in Beijing.  Umeda 
said that Chen Bingde noted to the Japanese that if Taiwan 
President Chen Shuibian declares independence, China will 
respond militarily.  Chen reportedly also said that  "Taiwan 
supported by the United States is stronger than China." 
Umeda reported that Chen urged the Japanese to move past 
historical problems with China, in the same way that Japan 
has moved on from the U.S. detonation of a nuclear device 
 
over Hiroshima.  Chen noted that the PLA budget is USD 45 
billion.  Chen asked why Taiwan is included in Japan's 
Theater Military Defense (TMD), to which Saito responded that 
Taiwan is, in fact, not a part of Japan's TMD. 
 
German High-Level Visitors 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) German Ambassador Dr. Michael Schaefer reported that 
upcoming German visitors to China include a large trade 
delegation in April, two groups from the German Bundestag in 
May and a delegation from the Bundestag's Foreign Relations 
Committee on June 7 or 8.  The Foreign Relations Committee is 
planning to travel to Tibet, a sensitive area given the 
downturn in Sino-German relations following German Chancellor 
Merkel's meeting with the Dalai Lama September 23, 2007. 
 
French Police Brutality Angers Some Chinese 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) French Ambassador Herve Ladsous reported that two 
Chinese tourists in Paris were handled roughly by the police 
after being arrested for allegedly passing counterfeit money. 
 The money was later established to be genuine.  Ladsous has 
had to apologize personally at the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs for the incident and has received several thousand 
emails on the incident, which he takes as a sign of China's 
rising nationalism. 
 
French High-Level Visitors 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Former French Presidents Valery Giscard d'Estaing and 
Jacques Chirac and former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin 
will visit China the week of April 21. French Minister of 
Culture Christine Albanel will visit April 3 to launch a 
cultural festival, including an exhibition on Napoleon from 
the Louvre that will be displayed in the Forbidden City.  As 
part of the cultural festival, the last program of the season 
to be held in the National Theater will be a French Opera. 
In May, the French will hold consultations with China on 
Latin America.  The French MFA Director of Strategic Affairs 
will visit Beijing in May to hold a regular consultation on 
disarmament, one session of which will be dedicated to 
counterterrorism.  France and China will also hold an 
economic dialogue in May.  On May 15, the Political Directors 
of the EU Troika will meet Chinese counterparts in Beijing. 
In June, Dai Bingguo and French Diplomatic Advisor to the 
President Jean-David Levitte will hold a strategic dialogue. 
 
French Ambassador on Liu Guijin: Candid and Knowledgeable 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶9. (C) Chinese Special Envoy for Darfur Liu Guijin will 
transit Paris while returning to China from his current trip 
to Sudan and Chad.  During his transit, he will meet with 
French President Sarkozy at the Elysee.  Ladsous described 
Liu Guijin as "good to work with, candid, direct and 
knowledgeable."  Liu had previously asked Ladsous why the 
French had not yet expelled Darfurian rebel leader Abdul 
Wahid Nur, the leader of the Sudanese Liberation Movement, 
from his home in Paris despite Nur's residence permit having 
expired.  Liu's knowledge that Nur's residence permit had 
expired impressed Ladsous. 
 
An Undiplomatic Reception at the Tibetology Center 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶10. (C) New MFA Assistant Foreign Minister for European 
Affairs Wu Hongbo recently hosted a reception for all 
European Chiefs of Mission.  His choice of venue for the 
event, the Tibetology Research Center, angered some of the 
Europeans.  German Ambassador Schaefer did not attend the 
event.  French Ambassador Ladsous did attend, using the event 
as an opportunity to raise the issue of religious freedom 
with AFM Wu.  The Dalai Lama will visit France and Germany in 
August. 
 
Other Issues 
------------ 
 
¶11. (C) French Ambassador Ladsous recently returned from a 
trip to Guangzhou.  He noted that the current provincial 
leadership understands that current economic policies in 
Guangdong are unsustainable and economic reform is necessary. 
 Also, the French recently opened a new Consulate General, 
 
their sixth, in Shenyang. 
RANDT