VZCZCXRO4671
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2868 2060219
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240219Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8769
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS BEIJING 002868 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EEB/TRA DAS JOHN BYERLY 
STATE FOR EAP/CM PETER SECOR/JOY YAMAMOTO 
TRANSPORTATION FOR DAS SUSAN MCDERMOTT/DAS JOEL SZABAT 
TRANSPORTATION FOR X1, X40 
TRANSPORTATION FOR BERNESTINE ALLEN/NICOLE PORTER 
TREASURY FOR DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TAIYA SMITH 
TREASURY FOR AMBASSADOR ALAN HOLMER 
TREASURY FOR MANAGING DIRECTOR DAN WRIGHT 
STATE PASS USTR ANN MAIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT ELTN CH
SUBJECT: JULY 22 VICE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT LETTER TO 
DOT DEPUTY SECRETARY 
 
REF: A) DOT/POST Email July 11 
 
¶1. (U) The July 22 letter from VM Weng comes in 
response to a July 10 letter from Deputy Secretary 
Barrett regarding the bilateral Transportation Forum 
launched during the Fourth Strategic Economic Dialogue 
in Annapolis (Ref A). 
 
¶2. (U) On July 23, post received via facsimile 
diplomatic note No. (2008)092 dated July 22 from the 
Dpartment of International Cooperation of the 
Ministry of Transport (MOT) transmitting a letter from 
MOT Vice Minister Weng Mengyong to United States 
Department of Transportation (DOT)Deputy Secretary 
Thomas Barrett (Note: Courtey translation provided by 
MOT. End Note).  Pot e-mailed a scanned version of 
the letterto DOT on July 23.  The text of the letter 
is below. 
 
¶3.  Begin text of MOT translation of letter: 
 
July 22, 2008 
 
H.E. Thomas J. Barrett 
Deputy Secretary 
Department of Transportation 
The United States of America 
 
Your Excellency, 
 
Thank you for your letter dated July 10, 2008.  The 
Chinese side converges with your proposal on the 
division of areas concerning the first project under 
the Transportation Forum-the joint study survey on 
trade flows and infrastructure development.  Now we 
are coordinating with relevant ministries and 
authorities to follow up the TF initiative and getting 
down to the area of "disaster assistance coordination" 
under the joint project. 
 
Hereby, I would like to reiterate that the Ministry of 
Transport of P.R. China is willing to join hand in 
hand with your Department to put in place what we have 
agreed upon, make full preparations for the first TF 
and promote the efficient, safe and sustainable 
development of transportation between both countries. 
As for details, Mr. Li Guangling, Deputy Director- 
General of the Department of International 
Cooperation, will keep closely in touch with Ms. Susan 
McDermott of DOT. 
 
I am convinced that the cooperation between our two 
organizations will achieve fruitful results. 
 
Please accept, your Excellency, the assurances of my 
highest consideration. 
 
Weng Mengyong 
Vice Minister of Transport 
The People's Republic of China 
 
End text. 
 
PICCUTA