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FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9509
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BEIJING 003275 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT, FOR, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/DO, DS/TIA/OSAC, DS/P/MECU, 
DS/TIA/ITA, DS/DO/P, DS/ICI/CI, DS/T/ATA, DS/TIA, 
DS/TIA/PII, DS/CC, EAP/CM, S/CT, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, PASS TO 
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) OPERATIONS 
CENTER, HONG KONG FOR RSO AND LEGAT AND USSS, SHANGHAI FOR 
RSO, SHENYANG FOR RSO,CHENGDU FOR RSO, GUANGZHOU FOR RSO, 
USSS HQS FOR INV, OPO, HNL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC CH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER
SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT 
25, 08/25/2008 
 
REF: A. BEIJING 3253 
     ¶B. BEIJING 2994 
     ¶C. BEIJING 3049 
     ¶D. BEIJING 3254 
     ¶E. BEIJING 3241 
     ¶F. BEIJING 3106 
 
¶1. (SBU) The following cable provides information on 
security, public diplomacy, political, and consular 
activities related to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games 
as of 08/25/2008. 
 
¶2. (U) The interagency USG Joint Operations Center (JOC) can 
be contacted on a 24-hour basis at the following numbers: 
 
- JOC Direct Line: 011-86-010-6532-6966. 
- U.S. Embassy Beijing: 011-86-010-6532-3431, JOC extension 
¶6200. 
- JOC fax: 011-86-010-6532-4763. 
- STE and fax: 011-86-010-6532-5163. 
 
 
KEY ISSUES 
---------- 
¶3.  (U)  Successful Closure of the Summer Olympic Games:  At 
approximately 2200 hours local time on 08/24/2008, 
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge 
declared the Games of the 29th Olympiad officially closed. 
Praised by Rogge as a "truly exceptional Games," the Closing 
Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games opened to 
an explosion of fireworks, featured soccer star David Beckham 
punting a soccer ball into the crowd from a London 
double-decker bus, and ended with the extinguishing of the 
Olympic torch.   Chinese security measures around the Olympic 
Green ensured that the ceremony concluded without disruption 
to the celebration. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  JOC Continues Operations through 08/26/2008:  On 
08/25/2008, the majority of U.S. Olympic athletes, family 
members, and coaches, as well as USG Olympic support 
personnel and American tourists, will begin departing from 
Beijing.  The JOC will remain in operation through 1500 hours 
local time on 08/26/2008 in order to monitor the initial 
departures of U.S. citizens and to provide security liaison 
support as necessary. 
 
 
SECURITY ISSUES 
--------------- 
¶5.  (SBU)  Threats:   There is no significant threat 
information to report. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Incidents:  There are no significant incidents to 
 
BEIJING 00003275  002 OF 005 
 
 
report. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Olympic Protests:  Eight American Detainees 
Released Early:  On 08/24/2008, the Beijing Public Security 
Bureau (PSB) notified the U.S. Embassy that the eight U.S. 
citizens in detention for pro-Tibet activities had been 
deported to the United States via the 2100 hours Air China 
flight to Los Angeles; the eight--six of whom belonged to the 
group "Free Tibet Reporters" and two of whom belonged to 
"Students for a Free Tibet"--were originally to have been 
released on 08/30/2008 and 08/31/2008, respectively.  The 
deportations came a week earlier than expected and followed 
several days of high-level Embassy engagement with Chinese 
officials on the matter (ref. a).  These efforts culminated 
on 08/24/2008, when the Embassy's Public Affairs Section 
(PAS) issued a public statement by Ambassador Clark T. Randt 
calling for the immediate release of the eight detainees. 
Using press guidance drafted by PAS, the Embassy confirmed 
the deportations on 08/25/2008 with CNN, AFP, AP, Bloomberg, 
the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Visa Ban for Detainees:  Separately, Beijing PSB 
sources told the U.S. American Citizens Services (ACS) office 
that the eight Americans deported on 08/24/2008 will be 
barred from returning to China for a minimum of five years. 
 
 
SECURITY OPERATIONS 
------------------- 
¶9.  (SBU)  FLO Presence at the Closing Ceremony:  Four USG 
Field Liaison Officers (FLO) accompanied U.S. athletes as 
they took to the field at the National "Bird's Nest" Stadium 
for the Olympics Closing Ceremony.  The FLOs reported no 
incidents during the ceremony, though one U.S. athlete 
received assistance after being surrounded by enthusiastic 
fans.  Crowd and access control--which have been ongoing 
concerns for high-profile teams and athletes--was adequate to 
the number of spectators in the stadium. 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Airport Departure Surge--Expect Delays: 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) representatives have indicted 
that 08/25/2008 through 08/27/2008 will be peak travel days 
at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA), with U.S. 
air carriers running sold-out flights during this timeframe. 
The majority of Olympic athletes and visitors will be 
departing Beijing on these dates and athletes for the 
upcoming Paralympic Games starting on 09/06/2008 will be 
arriving.  USG Olympic support personnel will be departing 
China in three waves on 08/25/2008, 08/26/2008, and 
08/28/2008.  TSA has noted the surge in departures, coupled 
with the arrival of Paralympics personnel, will likely put a 
strain on BCIA services and travelers have been advised to 
 
BEIJING 00003275  003 OF 005 
 
 
leave adequate time to get through ticket and security lines. 
  Separately, FAA and TSA notified the JOC that the 
08/25/2008 United Airlines flight scheduled to depart Beijing 
at 1830 hours local time for Washington, DC, has been delayed 
until 0830 hours local time on 08/26/2008.  Approximately 240 
U.S. athletes--as well as a number of USG Olympic support 
personnel--were ticketed on this flight; the delay is not a 
result of the airport surge. 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Olympic Airport Statistics:  According to FAA, 
U.S. commercial air carriers conducted 746 flights through 
BCIA to the United States--carrying over 150,000 
passengers--between 08/01/2008 and 08/24/2008.  Even with the 
large number of flights, FAA noted that only two were delayed 
due to mechanical issues and less than 20 experienced delays 
of 30 minutes or less due to weather or other conditions. 
These statistics are for U.S.-based carriers only and do not 
include flights conducted by the four Chinese airlines that 
also operate flights to the U.S.   Airport officials had 
previously projected that BCIA would receive 1,500 flights 
and 260,000 passengers a day during peak Olympics travel 
dates--including 08/07/2008 and 08/27/2008 (ref. b).  FAA 
also indicated that Chinese airport controllers successfully 
managed the large number of charter and corporate flights 
into and out of BCIA during the Olympic Games. 
 
 
VIPS 
---- 
¶12.  (SBU)  Delegation Departures:  The members of the USG 
Delegation to the Olympics Closing Ceremony attended the 
Olympics grand finale without incident on 08/24/2008.  On 
08/25/2008, Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael 
Leavitt is scheduled to depart Beijing.  The head of the 
Delegation--Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao--will depart 
Beijing on 08/26/2008 with onward travel to Shanghai. 
 
 
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 
------------------------------- 
¶13.  (U)  Please see the Olympics Protests and Consular 
Affairs sections for updated information on PAS activities. 
 
¶14.  (U)  Two U.S. Sponsors Drop London 2012 Olympics:  U.S. 
corporate Olympic sponsors Kodak and Johnson & Johnson 
reportedly will not continue as part of the International 
Olympic Committee's "worldwide partners" for the 2012 London 
Games, according to a UK media source.  Kodak, which has been 
involved in every modern Olympics since 1896, acknowledged it 
will focus on other marketing opportunities.  Johnson & 
Johnson is expected to announce shortly its decision to 
reduce Olympic spending. 
 
 
BEIJING 00003275  004 OF 005 
 
 
 
CONSULAR AFFAIRS 
---------------- 
¶15.  (SBU)  American Hotel Vandal Surrenders to Chinese 
Authorities: U.S. citizen Edward Romero was detained by 
Chinese authorities on the evening of 08/24/2008 while 
staging a protest at Tiananmen Square; Mr. Romero had 
reportedly been in hiding since 08/06/2008, when he when 
painted the walls of two downtown Beijing hotel rooms with 
anti-China statements and Bible verses (ref. c) and had 
indicated that he would turn himself in to police after the 
conclusion of the Olympic Games (ref. d).  According to his 
daughter--who called ACS to report her father's detention--he 
was taken to a tent by uniformed police and held before being 
driven to another location by plainclothes officers.  Mr. 
Romero turned on his cell phone to record his detention and 
the audio clip has been loaded onto his website; ACS has 
copied the file and will forward it to the Foreign Service 
Institute (FSI) for possible inclusion in the Consular 
Officer training program.  ACS has contacted the Beijing PSB 
to determine Mr. Romero's status and whereabouts. 
Anticipating the strong media interest in this story, the 
Embassy's Public Affairs Section (PAS) prepared press 
guidance on the surrender and subsequently used it in 
speaking with reporters from AP, Bloomberg and the Los 
Angeles Times on 08/25/2008. 
 
 
POLITICAL AFFAIRS 
----------------- 
¶16.  (U)  IOC Head Urges China to Maintain Press Freedoms: 
During an 08/24/2008 press conference, IOC President Jacques 
Rogge urged China to maintain greater freedoms for the 
foreign media after the end of the Olympic Games.  Rogge 
indicated that he had raised with Chinese officials the 
extension of relaxed reporting rules beyond their October 
expiration and had been given "indications that this might be 
considered."  Foreign journalists in Beijing have reported 
being harassed or detained for covering demonstrations and 
issues that the Chinese Government considers negative (ref. 
e). 
 
¶17.  (U) Opening Ceremony Singing Scandal:  According to a 
report from the Hong Kong Information Center for Human Rights 
and Democracy, Vice President Xi Jinping was the Chinese 
Communist Party Politburo member who reportedly personally 
decided that a "cuter" girl should appear in the Opening 
Ceremony on 08/08/2008 while the real singer sang from behind 
the scenes (ref. f).  The report said it was not known 
whether Xi's wife, a famous singer in China, was also 
involved in the decision.  Xi Jinping was designated the top 
Party member in charge of the Olympics earlier this year.  He 
was promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee in October 
 
BEIJING 00003275  005 OF 005 
 
 
2007 and appointed Vice President in March 2008. 
RANDT