VZCZCXRO0478
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0164/01 0201014
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201014Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1920
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0734
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0795
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3476
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1741
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2360
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1037
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KS KN CH SZ UK SP GM EU TW
SUBJECT: January 20 MFA Press Briefing: Wen Jiabao Visit to Europe, 
U.S.-China Relations, Bird Flu Response 
 
¶1. Key points at the January 20 MFA Press Briefing: 
 
-- Premier Wen Jiabao will visit EU headquarters, Switzerland, 
Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom from January 27-February 2. 
Wen plans to attend the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos. 
 
-- As President-elect Obama prepares to take office, China 
reiterates that good relations with the United States are in the 
fundamental interests of both countries and are conducive to peace, 
stability and development. 
 
-- China has taken control measures on the few cases of "highly 
infectious bird flu," and reported its actions to the WHO, Hong 
Kong, Macau and Taiwan authorities, and to relevant foreign 
countries. 
 
-- 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the PRC's relations with the 
DPRK and will be a "year of friendship" with bilateral exchanges as 
China looks to deepen "mutually beneficial cooperation" and 
"friendly relations."  China hopes tensions will be resolved through 
dialogue. 
 
-- The MFA provided no information on the case of Yao Lifa, 
reportedly taken into custody before his planned attendance at an 
inauguration event at the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan. 
 
Wen Jiabao to Visit Europe 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. At the January 20 regular MFA press briefing, MFA Spokesperson 
Jiang Yu said Premier Wen Jiabao will visit Switzerland, Germany, 
Spain and the United Kingdom from January 27-February 2, where he 
will meet with the leaders of those countries and also meet with EU 
President Jose Barroso.  The Premier plans to attend the upcoming 
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.  The purpose of Wen's 
visit is to help the international community build "strategic 
consensus" and "work together" on the Global Financial Crisis. 
China also seeks to "further enhance" the mutual understanding and 
trust of the China-EU "strategic partnership" in the new year. 
While specific details of the Premier's trip have not yet been 
released, Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hongbo plans to provide a 
background briefing on the visit at the MFA on January 22. 
 
U.S.-China Relations in the New Administration 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. Jiang reiterated the importance of China's relations with the 
United States as President-elect Obama prepares to take office.  She 
said good U.S.-China relations are in the fundamental interests of 
both countries and are conducive to peace, stability and 
development.  The present situation is an important "strategic link 
between past and future."  China has a long-term perspective on the 
relationship and believes it is in our common interest to promote 
the long-term "healthy" and "stable" development of U.S.-China 
relations into a "new era."  On arms sales to Taiwan, however, Jiang 
said the United States should abide by its obligations under the 
three joint communiques, especially the August 17, 1982 communique, 
and support "peaceful development" of cross-Strait relations with 
"concrete actions." 
 
Bird Flu Cases: China's Response 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. In answer to a question on China's response to the recent 
outbreak of a few cases of bird flu, Jiang said China has taken 
control measures with respect to the "highly infectious bird flu," 
and reported its actions to the WHO, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan 
authorities, and to relevant foreign countries.  Jiang underscored 
that these were "sporadic" individual cases. 
 
PRC's Ties with the DPRK, Tensions on the Peninsula 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5. Jiang said this year marks the 60th anniversary of the PRC's 
relations with the DPRK and it will be a "year of friendship" with 
multiple bilateral exchanges.  China looks to deepen "mutually 
beneficial cooperation" and "friendly relations" with North Korea. 
Asked about the DPRK's recent hostile statement to the ROK, she said 
China hopes that South and North Korea can "resolve" differences 
"through dialogue," as is in the "fundamental interests" of those on 
the Korean Peninsula. 
 
Activist Detained? 
------------------ 
 
BEIJING 00000164  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6. Questioned about the possible detainment of activist Yao Lifa, 
who reportedly was taken into custody before his planned attendance 
at an inauguration event at the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan, 
Jiang referred interested parties to the "local authorities." 
 
Update on the Dumpling Case in Japan 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶7. With respect to the tainted dumpling case in Japan, China 
attaches "great importance" to food safety and public health 
concerns, Jiang said.  China has taken "active measures" on the 
dumpling case and has been in full communication with relevant 
authorities in Japan.  The PRC supports a full investigation into 
this case so that the "truth" can be "exposed." 
 
PICCUTA