VZCZCXRO2698
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2187 2142307
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 022307Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5437
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2192
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BEIJING 002187 
 
STATE FOR PRM/POP 
STATE ALSO FOR DRL/PHD, IO/D, DRL, EAP/PD, AND EAP/CM 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI KPAO KPOP PHUM CH
SUBJECT: NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING COMMISSION URGES GREATER 
ENGAGEMENT WITH U.S. ON POPULATION ISSUES 
 
REF: A) STATE 77549 B) 07 STATE 3385 
 
¶1. (SBU) At the request of the National Population and Family 
Planning Commission (NPFPC), ESTHOffs met with Deputy Director 
General (DDG) of International Cooperation Madam RU Xiaomei on July 
31 to share current USG views on international family planning and 
related policy toward China.  ESTHOFF relayed points provided in REF 
A to inform NPFPC of USG's funding constraints vis-`-vis the UN 
Population Fund (UNFPA) and China, and to share the larger context 
of U.S. concerns about coercive practices carried out as a result of 
China's family planning policies.  NPFPC briefed ESTHOffs on recent 
developments in China's family planning system and called upon the 
USG to exchange views on these issues more frequently. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ru noted that the Chinese government has made many 
improvements in its family planning policy, with the goal of 
shifting the policy toward a more incentive- and service-based 
approach.  She also stated that the policy has in recent years 
evolved from its previously narrower focus on controlling population 
size, and now seeks to address related demographic issues like 
aging, migrants, and gender equity. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ru attributed much of the progress China has made in family 
planning to its numerous bilateral and multilateral partnerships and 
programs in this area, for example, with Japan, Korea, Spain, 
Australia, and with UNFPA.  Citing recent statements by USG 
officials that the United States would again take a leading role in 
global family planning, Ru called the decision by the USG to reduce 
its contribution to UNFPA (originally USD 50 million) by the 
estimated amount UNFPA provides to programs in China (USD 4 million) 
"unwise."  She urged the United States to engage actively with China 
in its family planning efforts and to "come see activities on the 
ground," rather than "stand on the outside and criticize."  Ru added 
that this would be "the best way" to help China modernize and 
improve implementation of its family planning policy. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ending the meeting on a more positive note, DDG Ru thanked 
ESTHOff for sharing the Administration's views and expressed hope 
that the meeting would be a new start to continued dialogue and 
communication between China and the United States on population and 
family planning.  (NOTE:  The last time a USG official met with 
NPFPC in Beijing to discuss family planning was at the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary level in March 2007 (REF B), and later in 
September 2007, at the Deputy Office Director level.  END NOTE) 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  Despite DDG Ru's obvious disappointment with the 
USG's decision to prohibit UNFPA from using U.S. contributions for 
its activities in China, she nevertheless received ESTHOffs 
enthusiastically and was eager to share with the Embassy (and 
Washington) in detail what she clearly believed to be improvements 
in the Chinese family planning system.  NPFPC likely would be just 
as responsive to any additional requests for information or dialogue 
that Washington may put forth in the near future.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
GOLDBERG