VZCZCXRO4959
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDS #0899/01 1111030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211030Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4451
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0523
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000899 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/RSA Moody 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SENV CH ET SU
SUBJECT: CODEL CARNAHAN MEETING WITH CHINESE IPU DELEGATION 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) On April 7, CODEL Carnahan met the Chinese delegation from 
the National People's Congress (NPC) on the margins of the 
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, held in Addis Ababa.  The 
two delegations emphasized the importance of the bilateral 
relationship and discussed opportunities for cooperation on climate 
change and on conflict in Sudan.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On April 7, Representatives Russ Carnahan, Mazie Hirono, 
Jim McDermott and Diane Watson met with Zha Peixin, Vice Chairman of 
the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee and Wang Chaoqun, newly promoted 
Chair of the NPC's Environment and Natural Resources Committee, on 
the margins of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, held at 
the United Nations Convention Center in Addis Ababa.  Staff from 
both delegations were also present.  Zha, who worked in the PRC 
liaison office in Washington, DC in the 1970s, speaks English 
fluently but used a PRC interpreter in deference to his delegation. 
 
"Most Important Bilateral Relationship" 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Representative Carnahan noted that early and high level 
meetings between the United States and China showed the importance 
of the bilateral relationship.  He noted that he had met with the 
Chairman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee in 2008 and that a 
Chinese trade delegation had visited Missouri to discuss a mutually 
beneficial air hub.  Zha offered that the change in U.S. 
administrations has ushered in a "new chapter of China-U.S. 
relations" and added that President Hu Jintao had a "productive" 
meeting with President Obama on the margins of the G-20 summit. 
"Both sides want to work for a positive, cooperative and 
comprehensive relationship," Zha said, highlighting such mechanisms 
for bilateral cooperation as the Strategic Dialogue and the 
Strategic Economic Dialogue.  Zha added that "Both sides [at the 
G-20] also reiterated that this is the most important bilateral 
relationship in the world, with more and more common interests.  We 
have great potential for cooperation in tackling the global 
financial crisis, energy security and climate change, and we are 
making great strides in improving relations for the benefit of both 
our people."  Reiterating that the U.S.-China relationship is "the 
most important bilateral relationship in the twenty-first century, 
Zha said China "stands ready to push it to a new level." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Zha welcomed the U.S. observer delegation back to the IPU 
after a ten year absence.  Zha said that the U.S. Congress and the 
NPC have enjoyed positive relations recently and that there are a 
number of exchange mechanisms between the two legislatures. 
"Through regular contacts we can improve pragmatic cooperation and 
make fresh contributions to our bilateral relations," Zha said, 
adding that the NPC is also prepared to have regular contacts on the 
sidelines of major international conferences and other international 
parliamentary exchanges. 
 
China Ready to Cooperate on Sudan 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Representative Watson highlighted China's role in East 
Asian regional security and in global development, and raised a 
question about small arms trade in East Africa.  Representative 
Watson added that solutions to problems in developing countries must 
be diplomatic, not military.  In response, Zha agreed that 
developing countries need diplomatic solutions to their problems and 
said China's arms exports are small in comparison with those of the 
United States and that China has been "highly responsible" in this 
area, consistent, Zha added, with China's policy not to interfere in 
the internal affairs of other countries.  Turning to Darfur, Zha 
said that China follows the humanitarian situation closely "in that 
part of the world," and that the best way forward is continued 
tripartite consultations between the United Nations, the African 
Union (AU) and Sudanese authorities, and to promote domestic 
reconciliation.  Noting China has sent peacekeepers to Darfur, Zha 
said China is willing to see the hybrid peacekeeping force further 
strengthened.  Some progress has been made on Darfur, and the AU and 
"Arab countries" can help.  China remains ready to strengthen 
cooperation with the U.S. in this area, Zha said. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Representative Hirono cited President Obama's pledge to 
reduce greenhouse gases and asked about China's progress in carbon 
capture technology.  In response, Wang noted that he was 
newly-appointed, but said that China believes there has been a 
policy shift in the U.S. on climate change.  China's stance, Wang 
said, is to work within existing United Nations frameworks and the 
Kyoto Protocol, address climate change through a "common but 
differentiated principle," discuss carbon production in "per capita" 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000899  002 OF 002 
 
 
terms, and take a historical perspective on carbon production. 
"Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China cannot commit itself to 
specific emissions targets," Wang said, "because developing 
countries took decades to develop.  However, China stands ready to 
work with others on new approaches."  Wang said China relies 
primarily on reforestation for carbon capture and has produced the 
largest "artificial greenery" in the world.  In the 1990s, China's 
forest cover had dropped to twelve percent, but has subsequently 
risen to eighteen percent and the government plans to boost that 
total by an additional two percent as part of its eleventh five-year 
plan.  China is also diversifying its electric supply thanks to 
projects such as the Three Gorges Dam, Wang said.  Wang added that, 
although China is still "coal dependent," the country is interested 
in clean-coal technology. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Zha added that China is top in aggregate pollution but 
produces one third less pollution per capita than more developed 
nations.  "China is still a developing country," Zha said, "but 
takes seriously conservation measures."  China plans to reduce per 
capita pollution by twenty percent over the next five years and ten 
percent overall, Zha noted. 
 
¶8. (SBU) CODEL Carnahan has cleared this cable. 
 
YAMAMOTO