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P 032252Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3790
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC 0750
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUZFNAI/NASIC WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OH
RHMFIUU/NSF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 9300
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1772
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4841
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4556
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 4105
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3530
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9683
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2566
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1210
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001179 
 
STATE FOR OES/SAT, EAP/CM, ISN/MDSP AND T 
NASA/OFFICE OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS FOR A/A O'BRIEN 
TOKYO FOR NASA ATTACHE TILMAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPA TSPL TPHY PREL CH
SUBJECT: NASA DISCUSSES COOPERATION WITH CHINA NATIONAL SPACE 
ADMINISTRATION 
 
REFS:  A) 08 STATE 57679 
   B) 08 BEIJING 2721 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1.  (SBU) On April 24, NASA Assistant Administrator (AA) for 
External Relations Michael O'Brien briefly met with Dr. SUN Laiyan 
Administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to 
discuss upcoming NASA-CNSA bilateral expert group meetings on 
cooperation in earth and space science.  Administrator Sun 
emphasized his continued support (REF A) for the working group 
(which is comprised of four smaller expert groups) that was 
established as a result of the 2006 Bush-Hu summit. The two also 
discussed a wide range of issues including China's next generation 
launch vehicle, China's lunar program, the Beidou satellite 
navigation program, and the China-Russia collaboration on the Phobos 
Mars mission. According to a meeting participant from the Ministry 
of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the new Department of 
Civil-Military Technology Integration has assumed oversight 
responsibility for CNSA, a role previously held by the State 
Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for the 
National Defense (SASTIND). End Summary 
 
Reinvigorating CNSA-NASA Working Group Cooperation 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶2.  (SBU) CNSA Administrator Sun stated that his organization stands 
ready to cooperate in the areas named during the first joint 
CNSA-NASA working group meeting held in December 2008 (REF B). Sun 
also said that bilateral cooperation should begin with 
highly-focused efforts that eventually can be widened. The AA agreed 
that success on smaller, highly-focused science projects should be 
the key to cooperating on more complex programs.  Sun was especially 
keen on the earth observation data exchange experts group, noting 
that earth observation, telecommunications, and navigation 
satellites are all state key programs for China. 
 
CNSA Discusses Manned Space and Other Major Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶3.  (U) Sun said that the recent award given to China's manned space 
program by the prestigious U.S.-based Space Foundation in Colorado 
Springs "honored us highly and encouraged our efforts." In response 
to Sun's question regarding the retirement of the U.S. space shuttle 
and the impact this would have on International Space Station (ISS) 
operations, the AA explained that Europe had already successfully 
flown its Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to the ISS in 2008 and 
Japan is now preparing to launch the HII Transfer Vehicle (HTV) 
later this year. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Noting that manned space exploration is a risky endeavor, 
Sun thanked the AA for providing a copy of the Space Shuttle 
Columbia accident report and asked that Mr. O'Brien convey 
condolences on behalf of CNSA the next time he meets with families 
of Columbia crew members.  Sun said that China is on track to launch 
two Shenzhou manned vehicles by 2011 that would be used to validate 
docking and rendezvous technology--a necessary step before moving on 
to the more complex task of building a space station.  Sun said that 
China has no plans for a human lunar mission, despite press claims 
otherwise. Sun further noted that while the press is always trying 
to convey the impression that a new space race is underway between 
China and the U.S., the CNSA-NASA relationship demonstrates that 
nothing is farther from the truth. Sun said China is motivated by 
its domestic needs for socioeconomic development, and not by 
competition with the United States. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Sun briefly highlighted major unmanned space efforts in 
which China is currently engaged, including the development of a 
heavy-lift, next generation launch vehicle capable of placing 25 
tons into low-earth-orbit [NOTE: Currently China's largest launch 
vehicle is only capable of lifting nine tons into low-earth-orbit. 
 
BEIJING 00001179  002 OF 002 
 
 
END NOTE.]  The vehicle will be built in Tianjin and shipped by sea 
to China's future launch site on Hainan Island, which is currently 
under construction.  Sun noted that to prepare for this move CNSA 
and other entities are studying how the European Space Agency 
transfers Ariane vehicles from Europe to Kourou(in French Guiana) 
for launch. He also said China's Beidou satellite navigation 
program, with its "nearly limitless" applications within China, is 
progressing smoothly.  The first dozen satellites in the system will 
provide regional navigation services, but ultimately, China intends 
to launch several more satellites that would provide China with 
global satellite navigation capability. China is also working 
closely with Russia on its Phobos-Grunt mission to Mars.  According 
to Sun, China is building a small satellite called the Yinghuo-1 
that will piggyback on the Phobos spacecraft and serve as a Mars 
probe.  The mission is scheduled to launch in October 2009. 
 
New Organization Assuming Oversight of CNSA 
------------------------------------------- 
¶6.  (SBU) In addition to the three CNSA participants, Dr. TU Senlin 
the Director General (DG) of the newly-formed Department of 
Civil-Military Technology Integration (CMTI)--what will likely prove 
to be a powerful arm of China's Ministry of Industry and Information 
Technology--also attended the meeting. The CMTI DG Tu told ESTHOFF 
that his department had recently assumed oversight duties for 
China's space and nuclear industries previously held by the State 
Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for the 
National Defense (SASTIND). He also said the goal of CMTI is to 
transition technological advances made in China's defense industries 
into civil and commercial technologies. [NOTE: This bolsters recent 
claims by Chinese nuclear officials that SASTIND would be 
systematically dismantled or left as a hollow shell.  SASTIND, in 
all of its previous incarnations, has played a major role in shaping 
the direction of China's defense modernization since its 
establishment in 1982.  END NOTE.] 
 
Next Steps 
---------- 
¶7.  (U) Administrator Sun said that CNSA Deputy Director-General for 
Foreign Affairs WANG Keran will be the primary interface for 
coordinating the joint expert group meetings with NASA.  CNSA Vice 
Administrator LUO Ge previously held this responsibility (REF B), 
however LUO Ge was not present at the meeting, nor was there any 
mention made of LUO throughout the discussion. 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: The meeting between the two space agency leaders 
was very cordial and appears to have set a positive tone for the 
upcoming CNSA-NASA expert group meetings, which are yet to be 
scheduled. It remains to be seen how CMTI's oversight of CNSA will 
impact future cooperation with NASA; however, the CMTI DG Tu said he 
was very pleased to see China-U.S. cooperation in the nuclear and 
space sectors moving forward. He also appeared to have genuine 
admiration for the United States, noting that he spent four 
"excellent" years obtaining his PhD at the University of Maryland. 
The establishment of CMTI and the potential dissolution of SASTIND 
marks a significant step forward in China's drive to modernize its 
defense industrial complex, and will likely result in Chinese 
defense industrial firms having greater autonomy to manage their own 
affairs.  END COMMENT 
 
PICUTTA