VZCZCXRO6246
RR RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHPB RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1197/01 1250956
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050956Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3814
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001197 
 
HHS FOR OGHA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR
AMGT, MG, EAGR, HHS, CH 
SUBJECT:  TFFLU01: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 4 
-MEXICAN CHARTER FLIGHT LANDS 
 
REF: A) BEIJING 1191   B) BEIJING 1171  C) STATE 44615 
      D) HONG KONG 802  E) STATE 44254 
 
 
AMERICANS IN QUARANTINE AND NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶1. (U) As of COB on May 5 Beijing Time, there are no confirmed cases 
of infection of humans or livestock by the A/H1N1 influenza virus on 
Mainland China.  One case was confirmed in Hong Kong on May 1 (REF 
D). 
 
¶2. (SBU) Two American citizens remain under quarantine.  Two others 
who had crossed over the border from Hong Kong over the weekend and 
held for observation in Guangzhou and Shenzhen were both released on 
May 4 (REF A). 
 
--A 38 year-old female has been in quarantine in a local hospital in 
Yiwu, Zhejiang Province (5 hour drive southwest of Shanghai) since 
early morning hours of Friday May 1.  Zhejiang Provincial Foreign 
Affairs Office notified ConGen Shanghai of her whereabouts on the 
morning of May 2.  She has remained in contact with ConGen Shanghai 
and reports that she is set to be released on May 6. 
 
--A 20 year-old male has been in quarantine in Beijing at Ditan 
Hospital since afternoon of Saturday May 2.  He has remained in 
contact with Embassy Beijing. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Consular notification of American citizens being 
transferred into quarantine remains uneven.  On May 5, Embassy 
Beijing sent a diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
requesting that a formal notification process be put into place 
China-wide. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Separately, the Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office 
(FAO) on May 4 agreed in principle to notify the Embassy of 
quarantine cases occurring within Beijing.  However, the status 
report provided by the Beijing FAO on May 4 did not include 
information about the Amcit already known to be in quarantine in 
Beijing, so Post continues to use alternative means of gathering 
information. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Guangdong Provincial FAO and Zhejiang Provincial FAO did, 
however, notify ConGen Guangzhou and ConGen Shanghai of American 
citizens in quarantine within those consular districts. 
 
¶6. (U) The Shanghai Municipal Government's Foreign Affairs Office 
(FAO) announced in a press conference on May 5 that official 
notification of quarantine/retention of a passenger will be made by 
the Shanghai FAO to the relevant Consulate.  Consulates may now 
request consular access to any quarantined/retained individuals, and 
the Shanghai FAO will facilitate that access. 
 
¶7. (SBU)  Posts mission-wide sent out Management Notices to staff on 
May 5, describing current entry and quarantine procedures mandated 
by the Chinese Government.  The same information also was added to 
E-Country Clearance approval messages intended for USG temporary 
duty travelers to China.  A warden message to the American community 
will be cleared overnight for issuance on May 6. 
 
CHINA AND MEXICO TRADE CHARTER FLIGHTS 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Mexican Embassy in Beijing confirmed that the 
Aeromexico flight chartered by the Mexican government to ferry 
Mexican nationals under quarantine in China and Hong Kong arrived in 
Shanghai at 2:00 PM local time on May 5.  The plane was then to fly 
to Beijing later the same afternoon and then onward to Guangzhou and 
Hong Kong.  Approximately 80 Mexican nationals previously under 
quarantine chose to use this flight to return to Mexico.  Some 
quarantined nationals who reside long-term in China elected to wait 
out the quarantine period in designated facilities.  A new crew 
joined the aircraft in Shanghai for the legs within China/Hong Kong 
 
BEIJING 00001197  002 OF 002 
 
 
and back to Mexico.  All will stay on board through each stop to 
avoid local quarantine procedures. 
 
¶9. (U) The one confirmed case of infection by the A/H1N1 influenza 
virus in Hong Kong, who is a Mexican national, will remain in 
quarantine in Hong Kong. 
 
¶10. (U)  According to China Daily, a charter flight operated by 
China Southern Airlines left Guangzhou for Mexico City on Monday May 
4 to pick up the estimated 200 Chinese nationals left there as a 
result of the outbreak.  The flight was scheduled to arrive in 
Shanghai at 9:00 AM on Wednesday May 6 Beijing time. 
 
 
GOVERNMENT PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) H1N1 test kits and virus isolates are now set to arrive in 
China from U.S. CDC on afternoon of May 7 Beijing Time. 
 
¶12. (U) The General Administration of Quality Supervision, 
Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) announced on May 4 that it had 
deployed six additional field epidemiology teams to Shandong, Hebei, 
Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, and Shaanxi Provinces to 
coordinate with local authorities.  AQSIQ reportedly had previously 
sent five such teams to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in late 
April, at the onset of the outbreak. 
 
¶13. (SBU) ConGen Guangzhou is coordinating with State/CA on whether 
to alert adopting parents to China's Central Adoptions Authority 
(CCAA) public notice (REF A) recommending that AmCit parents 
consider delaying their trip to China.  Thus far, ConGen Guangzhou 
has received only one inquiry about the CCAA notice. 
 
 
CHINA AGRICULTURE MINISTER:  PORK IS SAFE AND EDIBLE 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶14. (SBU) With the AQSIQ-imposed ban on imports of U.S. pork and 
pork products still in place, Minister of Agriculture SUN 
Zhengcai--in an apparent departure from AQSIQ's position--is now (as 
reported by China Daily on May 4) stressing to the public that 
eating pork is still safe, and that the H1N1 virus cannot be 
transmitted through consuming pork. 
 
¶15. (SBU) Agricultural Minister Counselor and Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) China Director met with AQSIQ Vice 
Minister WEI Chuanzhong on May 5 to deliver points in REF E, urging 
AQSIQ to remove trade bans on pork due to H1N1 concerns.  Results of 
the meeting will be reported SEPTEL. 
 
¶16. (U)  The official website of the northeastern province of 
Heilongjiang reported on May 5 that the Harbin Veterinary Research 
Institute (HVRI) had received test kits from the Chinese Ministry of 
Agriculture, which are able to identify the H1N1 virus in livestock 
within four to five hours.  (NOTE: The National Animal Influenza 
Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture is located within the 
HVRI.  END NOTE) The website noted that this quick detection 
capability may alleviate public concern over safety of pork 
products.  The Ministry of Agriculture reportedly plans to ship 
30,000 such virus detection kits throughout China. 
 
PICCUTA