VZCZCXRO7597
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1211 1261143
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 061143Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3839
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001211 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2029 
TAGS: PREL PBTS PARM PM CH
SUBJECT: PRC "OPPOSES" USNS VICTORIOUS PRESENCE IN CHINA'S 
EEZ 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Dan Piccuta.  Reason 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
¶1. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for North 
American and Oceanian Affairs Zheng Zeguang called the Charge 
to meet for coffee May 6 and during that meeting expressed 
"firm opposition" to the presence of the USNS Victorious in 
China's Exclusive Economic Zone.  Referring to statements by 
the U.S. Department of Defense Spokesman May 5, Zheng noted 
that the United States had publicly referred to harassment of 
the USNS Victorious by Chinese fishing vessels and had said 
that the United States and China will handle the issue 
through diplomatic channels.  Reading from several pages of 
Chinese talking points, Zheng declared that it was "the 
consistent position" of the PRC that ships carrying out 
"scientific research" were subject to the UN Convention on 
the Law of the Sea and Chinese law and regulations.  The 
operations of the USNS Victorious, Zheng said, were in 
violation of those laws and regulations because the USNS 
Victorious was not granted permission to conduct its 
activities in the EEZ.  China was firmly opposed to USNS 
ships conducting activities in China's EEZ without 
permission, and the United States should stop such activities 
and prevent similar incidents in the future. 
 
¶2. (C) Leaving his prepared script, Zheng stressed that it 
was "in the interests of bilateral relations to handle these 
cases through diplomatic channels."  He said that, in the 
event of an incident, the diplomatic channel was "always 
open."  Addressing this issue "through loudspeakers" was 
"counterproductive, not constructive."  Because of the press 
coverage of the U.S. remarks, the Chinese side was "obliged" 
to react, Zheng said.  "From the reports, you can see it was 
not the Chinese intention to have this kind of incident," 
Zheng added. 
 
¶3. (C) Comment: The atmospherics, including Zheng's body 
language and the setting of the demarche at a coffee shop 
rather than a formal MFA meeting room, suggested that Zheng 
wanted to play down the significance of the representation. 
We believe the second set of points, in paragraph 2 above, 
was the MFA's way of asking the United States to allow both 
sides to finesse the EEZ issue by not publicizing encounters 
between Chinese fishing boats and U.S. ships. 
PICCUTA