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OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
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O 102318Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2786
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2429
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 0169
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0251
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000615 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MASS PHUM SU ZI CH
 
SUBJECT: March 10 MFA Press Briefing: U.S. Naval Vessel Incident, FM 
Yang Visit, Tibet, Sudan, Zimbabwe 
 
¶1. Key points at the March 10 MFA press briefing: 
 
-- "The USNS Impeccable violated international and Chinese law and 
conducted activities in China's special economic zone in the South 
China Sea without China's permission." 
 
-- The "open policy of Tibet has not changed" but it is "up to the 
local people and governments to decide whether to welcome 
journalists" to Tibet. 
 
-- "The door to negotiations is always open if the Dalai Lama gives 
up his erroneous claims." 
 
-- China hopes Congress "will abide by the basic norms of 
international relations and reject a proposed Congressional 
resolution" calling on China to end its repression in Tibet. 
 
-- China hopes the car accident involving Prime Minister Tsvangirai 
"would not affect the process of political reconciliation" in 
Zimbabwe. 
 
-- China "noted Sudan's decision" to expel NGOs and hopes the UN 
"can fully consult with the Government of Sudan to avoid a negative 
impact on the humanitarian situation in Darfur." 
 
Harassment of U.S. Naval Vessel 
------------------------------- 
¶2.  "The USNS Impeccable violated international and Chinese law and 
conducted activities in China's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the 
South China Sea without China's permission," MFA spokesperson Ma 
Zhaoxu said at the regularly-scheduled March 10 MFA press briefing. 
Asked repeatedly about the harassment of the U.S. naval vessel, Ma 
said China had lodged a solemn representation to the United States 
and demanded that the United States "put an immediate stop to 
related activities and take effective measures to avoid similar 
incidents in the future."   The U.S. claims that Chinese ships 
harassed the U.S. naval vessel "are gravely in contravention of the 
facts, confuse right and wrong and are totally unacceptable to 
China."   The USNS Impeccable violated three laws: "the UN 
Convention on the Law of the Sea, China's EEZ and Continental Shelf 
Act and Regulations of the PRC on the Management of Foreign-related 
Marine Scientific Research."  Pressed for details on which parts of 
the laws were violated, Ma declined to specify, encouraging 
journalists to "do your homework and draw your own conclusions." 
 
¶3.  Asked whether Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi would discuss the 
incident during his visit to the United States, Ma said FM Yang went 
to the United States at the invitation of Secretary Clinton to make 
preparations for the meeting of President Hu and President Obama at 
the upcoming G-20 summit in London and to have an in-depth exchange 
of views on issues of mutual interest.  He had no further comment. 
 
Tibet 
----- 
¶4.  On Tibet, Ma said the Dalai Lama "confuses right and wrong."  In 
the last 50 years, Tibet "has witnessed ground-breaking changes." 
The democratic reforms initiated in Tibet in 1959 were the "widest 
social reforms in Tibet's history, important milestones in the 
emancipation of slaves and a contribution to the world's undertaking 
of human rights and freedom."  In response to a question about 
negotiations with the representatives of the Dalai Lama, Ma said 
"the door to negotiations is always open if the Dalai Lama gives up 
his erroneous claims." 
 
¶5.  Regarding journalists' access to Tibet, Ma stressed that the 
"open policy of Tibet has not changed" and that journalists were 
welcome to travel to Tibet but should "go through relevant 
procedures and respect the opinions of local people."  Noting that 
journalists use "various means" to travel to Tibet, he said "it is 
up to the local people and governments to decide whether to welcome 
journalists."  When pressed for more information on journalists' 
access to Tibet and Tibetan regions of Sichuan and Qinghai 
Provinces, Ma posed a rhetorical question, asking journalists if 
they would "allow others to come into your home any time of the day 
to search in your closets."  He suggested journalists use "common 
sense" in their interpersonal exchanges and "get useful information" 
by watching CCTV (China's state-owned television station) programs 
on democratic reforms in Tibet and by visiting Chinese exhibitions 
on Tibet.  Ma said the State Council recently organized a trip to 
Tibet for foreign journalists who were "very satisfied" with the 
visit. 
 
 
BEIJING 00000615  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  Asked about a report that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi 
supports a Congressional resolution calling on China to end its 
repression in Tibet, Ma said the bill "proposed by a few anti-China 
members of Congress disregards the history and reality of Tibet." 
Tibet is "purely an internal affair of China" and China is 
"resolutely against using the Tibet issue to interfere in China's 
internal affairs."  China hopes Congress "will abide by the basic 
norms of international relations and reject the resolution." 
 
Zimbabwe 
-------- 
¶7.  On Zimbabwe, Ma said China expressed deep condolences on the 
tragic death of the wife of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and 
wished PM Tsvangirai a quick recovery.  He added that China hoped 
the car accident would not affect the process of political 
reconciliation. 
 
Sudan 
----- 
¶8.  Asked about the expulsion of NGOs in Sudan, Ma said China "noted 
the decision by the Government of Sudan (GOS) and concern expressed 
by the UN" and expressed China's hope that the UN would "fully 
consult with the GOS to avoid a negative impact on the humanitarian 
situation in Darfur." 
 
PICCUTA