VZCZCXRO5707
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3614 2621003
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181003Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9989
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0241
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 0125
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0439
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 0039
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0109
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0003
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 4733

UNCLAS BEIJING 003614 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAGR VE CH GG KN
 
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 18 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: TAINTED MILK SCANDAL, 
DPRK, GEORGIA, TAIWAN AND THE UN 
 
¶1.  Key points at the September 18 afternoon MFA press briefing 
were: 
 
-- China "will be responsible and will seriously handle the issue" 
of contaminated milk. 
 
-- China "firmly opposes" food smuggling to the DPRK and will 
continue to provide food assistance to the DPRK. 
 
-- China "supports the UN Observer Mission to Georgia and hopes to 
see it continue to carry out its duties." 
 
-- China welcomes the UN General Committee's rejection of the 
proposal to put Taiwan's participation in UN activities on the UN 
General Assembly agenda. 
 
Tainted Milk Scandal 
---------------------- 
¶2. At the September 18 regular MFA press briefing, spokesperson 
Jiang Yu said that the General Administration of Quality Inspection 
announced that two Chinese companies, Guangdong-based Yashili and 
Qingdao-based Suncare, have been forced to recall their milk powder, 
which is exported to five countries in Africa and Asia: Bangladesh, 
Yemen, Gabon, Burundi and Myanmar.  She stressed that there have 
been no reports of illness from the milk powder in those five 
countries and that Chinese authorities "within a relatively short 
amount of time have taken effective measures" to deal with the 
tainted milk scandal.  Calling food safety "a joint challenge for 
all governments," Jiang said that China "will be responsible and 
will seriously handle this issue." 
 
DPRK 
----- 
¶3.  In response to a question about reports that Kim Jong-il's son 
was seen in Beijing yesterday, Jiang said that she was not aware of 
such reports.  Responding to a separate question on reports of grain 
smuggling from China to the DPRK, Jiang said that China "firmly 
opposes illegal trade" and will continue to provide food assistance 
to the DPRK.  She added that solving the food shortage in the DPRK 
is "the responsibility of the international community" and that 
China actively cooperates with the World Food Program. 
 
UN Observer Mission to Georgia 
------------------------------ 
¶4.  Jiang said that China has "taken note of and will study some 
countries' suggestion to send UN peacekeepers to Georgia."  Noting 
that the UN Observer Mission to Georgia has "played an important 
role in safeguarding peace and stability," Jiang said that China 
supports the UN Observer Mission and hopes to see it continue to 
carry out its duties. 
 
Taiwan Participation at the UN 
------------------------------ 
¶5.  Jiang said that the UN General Committee's refusal to accept the 
proposal to put Taiwan's participation in UN activities on the UN 
General Assembly agenda "reflects most UN member states' 
determination to abide by the one China policy."  She added that the 
issue of Taiwan's participation at the UN should be resolved 
"through consultations by Chinese people on the two sides of the 
Taiwan Strait." 
 
Chavez Visit to China 
--------------------- 
¶6.  In response to a question about new agreements planned for 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's September 23-25 visit to Beijing, 
Jiang said that China and Venezuela enjoy "normal state-to-state 
relations" and that China "would like to deepen relations with all 
Latin American countries, including Venezuela."  She said that she 
did not have any information on new agreements. 
 
Reporting Rules for Foreign Journalists 
--------------------------------------- 
¶7.  For the second week in a row, a journalist asked about the 
soon-to-expire Olympics reporting rules for foreign journalists. 
Jiang said that she had no specific information to share but 
stressed that China will continue its policy of openness and will 
continue to welcome foreign journalists to China.  She expressed 
hope that foreign journalists will abide by Chinese laws and "cover 
China in an objective and fair manner." 
 
RANDT