VZCZCXRO5573
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1067/01 1112243
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 212243Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3590
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2547
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0366
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0340
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 2141
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 9291
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0380
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0711
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001067 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ENRG KPAL IAEA SENV CH EG IS JA RS
SO, SY 
 
SUBJECT: APRIL 21 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: UN CONFERENCE ON RACISM, 
CLIMATE CHANGE, ETIM, SOMALIA, RUSSIA, JAPAN 
 
¶1. Key points at the April 21 MFA press briefing: 
 
-- China "regrets to see some countries did not attend" the UN 
Conference on Racism. 
 
-- China is ready to play a constructive role in the Middle East and 
hopes relevant parties follow UN resolutions and use diplomacy to 
achieve "the peaceful coexistence of two nations." 
 
-- China hopes the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting in Italy and 
Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate in Washington, DC will 
"send a positive signal" regarding the UN Framework Convention on 
Climate Change. 
 
-- The Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) poses a great 
threat to the stability and security of China and other countries in 
the region. 
 
-- The Yasukuni shrine is "a major sensitive issue in China-Japan 
relations" and Japanese leaders should "properly and prudently 
handle relations." 
 
-- China and Russia have made substantial progress on energy 
agreements. 
 
UN Conference on Racism 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. China regrets to see some countries did not attend the UN 
Conference on Racism, said MFA spokesperson Jiang Yu at the April 21 
regularly scheduled MFA press briefing.  She said that China 
attached great importance to the conference and that China's 
delegation headed by Ambassador Li Baodong had taken an active part 
in the conference.  China hoped that relevant parties could "step up 
dialogue" and promote a "zero-tolerance policy" to combat racism. 
Asked about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the 
conference, Jiang declined to comment. 
 
Travel to Tibet 
--------------- 
 
¶3.  Asked about local government restrictions on journalists' travel 
to Tibet, Jiang said local authorities "have reasons to take such 
measures."  She said China's policy of openness in Tibet has not 
changed, noting that local authorities had facilitated journalists' 
travel to the region in the past.  The MFA was working with local 
authorities to organize a trip for journalists to the areas affected 
by the Sichuan earthquake, said Jiang. 
 
FM Yang's Trip to the Middle East and Russia 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  Responding to a question about Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's 
April 21-27 trip to Egypt, the Palestine Territories, Israel, Syria 
and Russia, Jiang said FM Yang would meet with his counterparts to 
exchange views on issues of concern.  China is ready to play a 
constructive role in the Middle East and hopes relevant parties 
follow UN resolutions and use diplomacy to achieve "the peaceful 
coexistence of two nations." 
 
Climate Change 
-------------- 
 
¶5.  Jiang said National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) 
Vice Chairman Xie Zhenghua would attend the G8 Environment Ministers 
Meeting in Italy before traveling to Washington, DC to attend the 
Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.  Jiang said the two 
meetings were not negotiations on substantive matters but rather an 
opportunity to strengthen cooperation on climate change.  China 
hoped the meetings would "send a positive signal" regarding the UN 
Framework Convention on Climate Change and contribute to the 
conference on climate change in Copenhagen later this year. 
 
ETIM 
---- 
 
¶6.  In response to a question about the U.S. Department of Treasury 
designation of Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) leader 
Abdul Haq, Jiang said ETIM was a terrorist organization that 
recruited and trained terrorists and plotted and carried out 
 
BEIJING 00001067  002 OF 002 
 
 
terrorist attacks.  ETIM "poses a great threat to the stability and 
security of China and other countries in the region," and combating 
ETIM is an important part of international counterterrorism 
efforts. 
 
Energy Agreement with Russia 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7.  Jiang said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin signed an 
intergovernmental agreement on energy cooperation during his April 
20-21 visit to Beijing.  Noting "substantial progress has been made 
on energy agreements," Jiang said China was ready to work with 
Russia to further cooperation. 
 
Yasukuni Shrine 
--------------- 
 
¶8.  Asked about Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso's sending an 
offering to the Yasukuni shrine, Jiang said the shrine was "a major 
sensitive issue in China-Japan relations," noting that Japanese 
leaders should "properly and prudently handle relations." 
 
Somalia 
------- 
 
¶9.  Jiang said China would send a senior diplomat to attend the 
Somalia donors conference in Brussels.  Jiang expressed hoped that 
the conference would contribute to efforts to combat piracy, noting 
that "attention should be paid to the root causes of piracy." 
 
IAEA 
---- 
 
¶10.  Responding to a question about the IAEA International 
Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Energy, Jiang said IAEA Director 
General Mohamed ElBaradei and OECD Secretary General Angel Guria 
attended the conference and met today with Vice Foreign Minister He 
Yafei. 
PICCUTA