VZCZCXRO6334
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHROV RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1198/01 1251129
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 051129Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3816
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001198 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2029 
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM MEPP CH IS SY EG IR
SUBJECT: PRC/MEPP: FM YANG EXPOUNDS ON CHINA'S PEACE 
PROPOSAL WITH MIDDLE EAST LEADERS 
 
Classified By: Minister Counselor for Political Affairs Aubrey Carlson. 
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  During a five-day swing through the Middle 
East, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi laid out China's 
five-point plan for progress on the Middle East Peace Process 
(MEPP), according to an MFA official.  He conveyed to the new 
Israeli government hopes expressed by Arab leaders that the 
MEPP show progress as soon as possible.  Our MFA contact said 
the "main problem" was that the new government in Israel had 
yet to form a clear position on the two-state solution.  The 
MFA official also said that Arab leaders in the region were 
taking a wait-and-see attitude on possible changes in both 
U.S. and Israeli policies on the issue.  Despite the concerns 
the Chinese heard from Arab leaders about the new Israeli 
government, China believed that the MEPP faced a "new 
opportunity."  Beijing also believed that the "Middle East 
problem" was not just the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but 
included other issues in the region, and that resolution of 
the Iran nuclear issue would be conducive to progress in the 
MEPP.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) MFA West Asia and North Africa Department Director 
General Song Aiguo briefed PolOff and EU diplomats April 30 
on Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's April 21-26 travel to 
Israel and the Palestinian territories, Egypt and Syria. 
Yang met with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime 
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chairman of the Palestinian 
Authority Mahmoud Abbas and President Bashar al-Assad of 
Syria, as well as their respective Foreign Ministers or 
equivalents and the Secretary-General of the Arab League in 
Cairo. 
 
China's Vision for a "Fundamental" Solution 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Song said that discussions of the Middle East Peace 
Process (MEPP) dominated the conversations.  He reported that 
FM Yang had articulated China's five-point MEPP plan to the 
leaders and told them that China believed that a 
"fundamental" solution was a requirement for peace and 
security in the region.  Song outlined China's five-point 
proposal as follows: 
 
i. The relevant parties need to hold peace talks under 
relevant UN resolutions, the land-for-peace deal, and the 
Arab peace plan, and cannot seek a resolution through force. 
 
ii. The two sides should take positive measures, including 
implementing fully UNSC resolutions, sustaining the 
cease-fire, opening Gaza border crossings, allowing 
humanitarian aid to flow, stopping the construction of new 
settlements, and stopping attacks on civilians. 
 
iii. China calls for the early establishment of an 
independent Palestinian state.  Harmonious co-existence is 
the only way forward, and the two states should enjoy "equal 
rights." 
 
iv. The international community should continue to pay 
attention to the negative effects of the ongoing conflict on 
the Palestinian economy and society. 
 
v. Peace negotiations between Israel and Arab countries such 
as Egypt, Syria and Lebanon should proceed in a "coordinated" 
way and should seek solutions to unsettled issues such as 
settlements and security. 
 
Meetings with Arab Leaders 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Song stated that Arab leaders in the region 
appreciated China's "positive, just and constructive" 
position on the MEPP.  He said that the Egyptians had 
responded that they would try to promote peace talks and 
would continue to push for reconciliation of the major 
factions within the Palestinian leadership.  Arab leaders had 
told FM Yang that they were hopeful about the prospect of 
U.S. policy "adjustments" in the region, but had expressed 
concern over the new Israeli government.  The Palestinian 
side reportedly had expressed willingness to carry out 
political negotiations for the establishment of a Palestinian 
state and would work toward eliminating internal disputes. 
 
China Sought Clarity from New Israeli Government 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶5. (C) Song said that FM Yang had conveyed to Israel the 
"strong will" of Arab leaders to show progress in the MEPP as 
soon as possible.  Song said that the Israeli side did not 
 
BEIJING 00001198  002 OF 002 
 
 
"deny the existence" of Palestine but declined to clearly 
articulate the Israeli position on the two-state solution or 
the Annapolis process.  Song observed that major differences 
between the two sides on the details of the MEPP were clear, 
especially on the nature of a future state of Palestine, 
adding that these differences have increased over time.  In 
China's view, Song said, the "main problem" was that the new 
government in Israel had yet to form a clear position on the 
two-state solution. 
 
A New Opportunity for the MEPP? 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Nevertheless, Song claimed, China believed that the 
MEPP faced a "new opportunity" and the international 
community should continue to promote peace talks.  China, he 
claimed, was planning for the "next phase" of engagement with 
the region on the MEPP and would continue to encourage 
countries in the region to promote peace talks.  According to 
Song, "many parties" had told FM Yang during his visit that 
there was a need for a 1-2 month "wait-and-see" period to see 
how U.S. and Israeli policies on the issue developed. 
 
Iran: Nuclear Issue Connected to the MEPP 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) The Iranian nuclear issue had come up frequently 
during FM Yang's meetings, Song claimed.  He said that 
Beijing believed that the "Middle East problem" was not a 
single problem, that is, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 
but was connected with other issues in the region.  Song 
reiterated China's position that Iran had a right to nuclear 
power for civil purposes, but as an NPT member-state it also 
had obligations and must not develop nuclear weapons.  He 
stressed that Iran should respond to the concerns of the 
international community.  China had been in contact with the 
Iranian side, Song added, and had urged Tehran to cooperate 
with the international community through the E3-plus-3.  Song 
said that a resolution to the Iran nuclear issue would be 
conducive to progress in the MEPP. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) After cultivating better relations with Israel in 
recent years with the goal of improving economic ties, 
particularly in high-tech fields, FM Yang's recent visit may 
have been partly calculated to demonstrate to Arab leaders 
that China has not entirely abandoned its historic position 
of leaning toward the Arab cause in the Middle East conflict. 
 Despite Beijing's attempt to show strong engagement on the 
MEPP by putting forward a "comprehensive" solution, the lack 
of specificity of the plan and China's inability to push it 
forward meaningfully only serve to illuminate its 
less-than-leading role in the region. 
 
PICCUTA