VZCZCXRO5179
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2912/01 2932314
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 202314Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6495
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0663
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0388
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 0013
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 0085
RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 0001
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 7001
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3611

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002912 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PARM CH KS KN RS IR AF IN PK UK
 
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 20 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: PIRATES, CHINA-INDIA, NORTH 
KOREA 
 
¶1. Key points at the October 20 MFA press briefing: 
 
-- The Chinese Government attached great importance to the safety of 
the Chinese crew members taken hostage on their cargo ship, the 
Dexinhai. 
 
-- China-India relations had enjoyed "good momentum" and Chinese 
efforts to obtain resources from India's neighbors were part of 
normal state-to-state relations. 
 
-- The Kashmir Issue was "left over from history" and should be 
resolved peacefully. 
 
-- China opposed the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh. 
 
-- China was committed to the denuclearization of the Korean 
Peninsula and would make constructive and consistent efforts for the 
peace and stability of the region. 
 
-- China had made representations to Japan regarding a potential 
visit to that country by Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer. 
 
Pirates 
------- 
 
¶2. The Chinese Government attached great importance to the safety of 
the Chinese crew members taken hostage on their cargo ship, the 
Dexinhai, said spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu at the October 20 regularly 
scheduled MFA press briefing.  Immediately following the incident on 
October 19, the MFA and relevant agencies launched a contingency 
mechanism in which the MFA ordered its embassies to investigate and 
inform relevant governments.  The Chinese Government was actively 
seeking to rescue the crew members and the MFA had issued a warning 
to Chinese merchant ships to avoid the area.  Noting that "all-out 
rescue efforts" were ongoing, the spokesperson refused to provide 
further information on the incident. 
 
China-India Relations 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. China-India relations had enjoyed "good momentum," in recent 
years as evidenced by frequent high-level contacts, business 
cooperation, youth exchanges and collaboration on regional and 
international issues.  The two countries had agreed to push forward 
their bilateral strategic partnership and successfully celebrate 
next year's sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of bilateral 
relations.  Regarding China's efforts to enter into agreements to 
purchase resources from India's neighbors, Ma said that the 
agreements amounted to mutually beneficial cooperation between 
friendly neighbors and normal state-to-state relations.  China would 
continue to cooperate with relevant countries based on the five 
principles of peaceful coexistence.  This cooperation was conducive 
to peace and stability in the region, said Ma. 
 
¶4. The Kashmir border dispute was an issue "left over from history" 
that should be properly handled by both sides.  China hoped the 
issue would be resolved through peaceful dialogue in the interests 
of peace and stability in the region.  Asked about the possibility 
of the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh, Ma said that China's 
position on the matter was clear and any visit by the Dalai Lama to 
the region would further expose his anti-China and separatist 
efforts.  China was "greatly concerned" over Indian Government 
statements that the Dalai Lama was free to travel to the region and 
was "firmly opposed" to any visit.  Indian media reports that China 
was building a dam on the Brahmaputra River were groundless, said 
Ma. 
 
Visit to China of Ambassador Goldberg 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. Ambassador Philip Goldberg, U.S. Coordinator for Implementation 
of UNSC Resolution 1874, was visiting China from October 19-20 to 
exchange views on the implementation of UNSCR 1874, said the 
spokesperson.  China was committed to the denuclearization of the 
Korean Peninsula and would make constructive and consistent efforts 
for the peace and stability of the region.  Asked if the resolution 
was still needed given North Korea's promise to return to 
multilateral talks, Ma only responded that China was committed to 
denuclearization of the Peninsula and the resumption of the 
Six-Party Talks.  It was in the interest of all parties to work 
together toward that end, he added. 
 
Japan: Kadeer Visit and Yasakuni Shrine 
 
BEIJING 00002912  002 OF 002 
 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. China had made representations to Japan regarding a potential 
visit to that country by Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer, said Ma. 
"Some forces in Japan" wanted to invite Kadeer to Japan despite 
China's grave concerns.  China was firmly opposed to separatism, he 
added.  Separately, when asked for China's response to reports that 
Japanese politicians might visit Tokyo's Yasakuni Shrine honoring 
war dead, Ma said that China's position on the matter was well known 
and Ma urged Japan to properly handle the issue. 
 
Consumer Product Safety Commission Visit 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. Asked for China's response to statements by U.S. Consumer Product 
Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum regarding Chinese drywall 
sold in the United States, Ma said that he didn't want to comment on 
the issue but noted that business-to-business ties were in the 
interests of both countries. 
 
British Citizen 
--------------- 
 
¶8. The case of British citizen Akmal Shaikh, sentenced to death for 
smuggling four kilograms of heroin in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous 
region in 2007 was a judicial issue and was being handled according 
to Chinese law, the spokesman maintained. 
 
EU and ASEAN Summits 
-------------------- 
 
¶9.  The MFA would release more information shortly on Premier Wen 
Jiabao's attendance at the upcoming ASEAN summit to be held in 
Thailand.  China would work with relevant parties to make the 
meetings successful, said Ma.  China and the European Union were 
also holding discussions on the next round of the China-EU summit. 
 
 
Visits 
------ 
 
¶10. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang would visit the Ukraine, 
Albania and Estonia from October 26 to November 3.  Wang Qishan 
would host U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and U.S. Trade 
Representative Ronald Kirk for the 20th U.S.-China Joint Commission 
on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) on the 29th of October in Hangzhou. 
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi would travel to India on October 27 for 
trilateral meetings with Russia and India.  During bilateral 
meetings with Indian counterparts, Yang would exchange views on 
issues of mutual interest including regional and international 
issues.  Yang Jiechi would visit the Philippines from October 28-29. 
 
 
 
HUNTSMAN