VZCZCXRO1396
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1136 1182257
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 282257Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3693
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0576
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS BEIJING 001136 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PHUM CH JA FR MX
 
SUBJECT: APRIL 28 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: UIGHUR DETAINEES, SWINE FLU, 
ASO VISIT 
 
¶1. Key points at the April 28 MFA press briefing: 
 
-- The Uighur detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay are "members of 
the East Turkestan Islamic Movement" and "should be handed over to 
China." 
 
-- China takes the swine flu issue "seriously" and has "jump 
started" a program to respond to the threat. 
 
-- President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will meet with 
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso during his upcoming visit and 
"exchange views on issues of common and respective interest." 
 
Uighur Detainees 
---------------- 
 
¶2. The Uighur detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay are "members of 
the East Turkestan Islamic Movement" and "should be handed over to 
China," said MFA spokesperson Jiang Yu at the April 28 
regularly-scheduled MFA press briefing.  China will "handle them 
according to law" and opposes "any country accepting these suspects" 
into its territory. 
 
Pork Ban 
--------- 
 
¶3. China takes the swine flu issue "seriously" and has "jump 
started" a program to respond to the threat, said the spokesperson. 
A "multi-department mechanism" has been established to strengthen 
quarantine capabilities and monitor points of entry.  China has also 
"enhanced cooperation with the World Health Organization to enhance 
the effectiveness" of its response.  The disease has not entered 
China, but this eventuality "cannot be ruled out."  On April 26 the 
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and 
Quarantine and the Ministry of Agriculture jointly banned imports of 
pork from affected areas in the United States and Mexico, said 
Jiang.  China hopes relevant countries "can be understanding" of the 
ban. 
 
Japan-China Ties and Nuclear Transparency 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will meet with 
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso during his upcoming visit and 
"exchange views on issues of common and respective interest," said 
Jiang.  China-Japan relations are currently at a "critical stage" 
and China would like to establish a sound and stable basis for 
bilateral ties.  Responding to statements made by Japanese Foreign 
Minister Hirofumi Nakasone criticizing the transparency of China's 
nuclear arsenal, Jiang said that China's nuclear policy is 
"completely transparent."  China also actively supports complete 
denuclearization, said Jiang. 
 
China-France Ties 
----------------- 
 
¶5. President Hu Jintao met with Speaker of the French National 
Assembly Bernard Accoyer on April 24, said the spokesperson. 
Accoyer delivered a letter from French President Nicolas Sarkozy 
inviting Hu to visit France.  China is willing to enhance 
communication and cooperation with France to deepen bilateral 
relations and combat the financial crisis. 
 
Chiang Mai Initiative 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. China attaches great importance to cooperation in the ASEAN plus 
three, said Jiang.  Regarding the Chiang Mai Initiative to manage 
regional short-term liquidity problems, which will be discussed by 
the ASEAN plus 3 in an upcoming meeting of the Asia Development Bank 
in Bali, Jiang noted that all parties have "reached a consensus" and 
are working on implementation.  China hopes that a consensus can be 
reached on foreign exchange reserves by the end of May, said Jiang. 
 
 
PICCUTA