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FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6521
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIJING 002923 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR D, EAP, EAP/CM, EAP/K 
PACOM FOR FPA PICCUTA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2029 
TAGS: OVIP STEINBERG JAMES PREL MNUC ETRD ECON
SN, JP, CH, KN 
SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG'S SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 
CONVERSATION WITH PRC EVFM WANG GUANGYA 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson.  Reasons 1. 
4 (b/d). 
 
¶1. (SBU) September 29, 2009; 12:00 p.m.; Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs; PRC 
 
¶2. (SBU) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
---- 
The Deputy Secretary 
Amb. Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Embassy Beijing 
Joseph Donovan, EAP Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
State 
Rear Admiral Charles Leidig, Joint Chiefs of Staff 
Amb. Joseph DeTrani, Mission Manager for North Korea, DNI 
Derek Mitchell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
Defense 
Aubrey Carlson, Embassy Political Minister-Counselor 
RDML Bradley Gerhrke, U.S. Defense Attache in Beijing 
Pamela Park, Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary 
Robert Koepcke, Embassy Political Officer (notetaker) 
James Brown, Interpreter 
 
PRC 
--- 
Wang Guangya, Executive Vice Foreign Minister 
Guan Youfei, Ministry of National Defense, Deputy Director, 
International Office 
Zheng Zeguang, Director General, MFA North American and 
Oceanian Affairs Department 
Zhang Kunsheng, Director General, MFA Protocol Department 
Yang Houlan, Ambassador for Korean Peninsula Issues 
Ding Xiaowen, Deputy Director General, MFA North American and 
Oceanian Affairs Department 
Li Song, Deputy Director General, MFA Arms Control and 
Disarmament Department 
Wang Zonglai, Deputy Director General, MFA Boundary and 
Maritime Affairs Department 
Cong Peiwu, Counselor, MFA North American and Oceanian 
Affairs Department 
An Gang, Counselor and USA Division Director, MFA North 
American and Oceanian Affairs Department 
 
 
¶3. (C) SUMMARY:  EFVM Wang Guangya called on the U.S. to 
"maintain positive momentum" in bilateral relations ahead of 
President Obama's planned November travel to China in a 
September 29 meeting with Deputy Secretary Steinberg.  Wang 
expressed hope that President Obama would include a meeting 
with NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo on his schedule.  Wang agreed 
with the need to include climate change and energy on the 
President's agenda and said China would continue to work 
toward a global agreement for the Copenhagen conference. 
When urged to move forward with a U.S.-Japan-China trilateral 
policy planning meeting, Wang highlighted Seoul's concerns 
over the idea and suggested the three sides remain in contact 
on the idea.  Wang cautioned that the Chinese citizenry was 
playing an increasing role in influencing policy-making and 
called on the U.S. to handle sensitive issues like trade and 
the Dalai Lama "prudently."  Wang said the two sides should 
move forward as soon as possible with the Human Rights 
Dialogue.  Wang said that U.S. actions in China's EEZ could 
trigger "unexpected clashes"; the Deputy Secretary stressed 
the importance of finding ways to deal with differing 
interpretations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 
(UNCLOS) in order to minimize the potential for damage to the 
bilateral relationship.  Wang linked PRC cooperation on 
shipping non-lethal supplies across Chinese territory in 
support of security efforts in Afghanistan to the U.S. 
release of Uighurs from Guantanamo to third-countries. 
Burma, Af/Pak, and upcoming Chinese official visits to the 
United States were also discussed.  END SUMMARY. 
 
PRC Wants to Maintain Momentum Ahead of Obama Visit 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶4. (C) PRC Executive Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya 
opened his September 29 meeting with the Deputy Secretary by 
 
BEIJING 00002923  002 OF 004 
 
 
stressing the importance of "maintaining the positive 
momentum" of bilateral relations as the two sides worked 
toward President Obama's planned November visit to China. 
Wang said that in addition to the agenda for the President's 
official meetings, the two sides should ensure that the visit 
sent a positive signal about shared readiness to increase 
strategic cooperation and benefit people in both countries. 
The Deputy Secretary responded that it was important that the 
visit not only demonstrate concrete outcomes but also 
highlight the unique nature of the bilateral relationship and 
the benefits it provided for people in both countries and the 
world.  He stressed the importance of a public appearance by 
the President.  Both sides should show leadership on climate 
change given the timing of the visit a month before the 
Copenhagen conference. 
 
Climate Change Talks on PRC Agenda for Obama Visit 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶5. (C) Wang agreed with the importance of including climate 
change and energy on the President's visit agenda, given the 
major roles both countries played on the issue.  He claimed 
that the world's assessment of President Hu's statement of 
China's position on the issue at the UN summit on climate 
change was positive, and China would continue to work toward 
a global agreement.  He noted that in addition to the 
multilateral setting, the U.S. and China should strengthen 
bilateral cooperation on climate change issues.  Wang 
expressed hope that in addition to calls on President Hu and 
Premier Wen, POTUS would meet with National People's Congress 
Chairman Wu Bangguo during his November visit to Beijing, 
stressing the importance of the NPC in the PRC political 
system. 
 
China Not Ready to Move Forward on Trilateral with Japan 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6. (C) Turning to the proposal for a U.S.-Japan-China 
trilateral policy planners meeting, the Deputy Secretary 
noted that the arrival of a new government in Tokyo could 
provide an opportunity for moving forward with such talks. 
He noted that the U.S. had sought to reassure the ROK that 
such a trilateral would not be aimed at excluding other 
countries in the region and stressed the importance of 
leaders of the world's three largest economies engaging in 
dialogue.  Wang replied that the trilateral concept had been 
proposed some time ago and that a track-two mechanism with 
academics from the three countries was active in discussing 
major issues of trilateral concern.  When the idea was first 
proposed, China had received pressure not only from the North 
Koreans but even more so from Seoul, Wang said.  He noted 
that the new government in Tokyo was "warm" to the idea, that 
the three sides should remain in contact on the idea, and 
consultations among the three could continue even without a 
regular trilateral mechanism. 
 
Public Opinion Constrains PRC Options on Sensitive Issues 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶7. (C) Turning to China's "core interests," Wang cautioned 
that Chinese citizens were playing an increasing role in 
influencing policy-making, including foreign policy.  He 
called on both sides to handle sensitive issues "prudently" 
given this new reality.  As an example, Wang pointed to last 
year's "high-profile" meeting between French President 
Nicolas Sarkozy and the Dalai Lama as the cause of protests 
among Chinese citizens.  He stressed that a similar incident 
after the POTUS visit to China could undermine the gains of a 
successful visit.  Wang noted that while U.S.-China trade and 
economic relations were mostly healthy, the U.S. decision to 
invoke Section 421 measures against Chinese tire imports into 
the U.S. had engendered a "strong reaction" from Chinese 
citizens.  He added that China was concerned that the 
announcement of the countermeasures had undermined the 
positive atmosphere of NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo's trip to the 
U.S., which had been wrapping up just as the announcement was 
made.  He stressed that he did not believe the timing had 
been deliberate, but noted that Chinese citizens were 
demanding to know why such an action had been taken by the 
 
BEIJING 00002923  003 OF 004 
 
 
U.S. side.  Deputy Secretary Steinberg said that the U.S. 
believed strongly in public engagement on foreign policy to 
build public confidence in foreign policy decisions.  He also 
underscored the importance of dialogue between the two sides 
to ensure that misunderstandings could be avoided. 
 
China Calls for Human Rights Dialogue 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Given the importance of intensifying cooperation to 
push forward the strategic track of the Strategic and 
Economic Dialogue, EVFM Wang said, the two sides should move 
forward as soon as possible with the Human Rights Dialogue. 
 
Wang Cautions U.S. on Actions in PRC EEZ 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) EVFM Wang said that U.S. actions in China's exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ) could trigger "unexpected clashes," 
adding that both sides were acutely aware of the damage done 
to bilateral relations by the 2001 EP-3 incident.  He 
stressed that minor incidents could lead to serious damage to 
public perception, and urged the U.S. to refrain from actions 
in China's territorial waters and EEZ that violated UNCLOS or 
Chinese law.  Wang underscored the domestic political 
pressure that PRC policy-makers were under from Chinese 
citizens dissatisfied with U.S. actions in China's EEZ. 
 
¶10. (C) Deputy Secretary Steinberg said that both sides had 
strong interests at stake in their disagreement over the 
interpretation of UNCLOS, and that the U.S. concern over 
China's interpretation went beyond the bilateral 
relationship.  He stressed the importance of finding ways to 
deal with the principled disagreement over UNCLOS, both its 
underlying causes as well as day-to-day solutions to minimize 
the potential for damage to the bilateral relationship, 
adding that the Chinese interpretation would make much of the 
world inaccessible to military vessels.  Wang claimed that 
"innocent passage" did not include military vessels 
conducting military activities.  Steinberg stressed that 
UNCLOS was clear in allowing passage of military vessels. 
 
Upcoming Official Visits to the U.S. 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶11. (C) Wang sought U.S. support for Chinese leadership 
visits to the U.S. that would precede President Obama's 
November travel to China.  Noting that Central Military 
Commission Vice Chairman Xu Caihou would visit the U.S. in 
late October, Wang said that Xu's travel would play an 
important role in increasing understanding between the two 
countries' militaries, and requested that General Xu be 
granted a meeting with President Obama.  He noted that 
Director of the CCP Organization Department Li Yuanchao would 
travel to the U.S. with the aim of expanding cooperative 
programs for professional training of government officials, 
adding that he hoped Minister Li would have an opportunity to 
meet with Secretary Clinton, National Security Adviser Jones 
and Commerce Secretary Locke. 
 
Af/Pak 
------ 
 
¶12. (C) The Deputy Secretary underscored that shared 
U.S.-China strategic interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan 
should facilitate collaboration by the two sides on the issue 
without raising the concerns of the leadership in Pakistan. 
He urged China to respond positively for SRAP Holbrooke's 
suggestion for a working-level delegation to visit the United 
States in October, and stressed that the situation 
represented a new opportunity for U.S.-China cooperation. 
 
¶13. (C) In response, Wang stressed the importance of helping 
the government in Afghanistan build capacity for governance 
and for social and economic development.  Pakistan had become 
the frontline for the struggle against terrorism, and the 
international community should support Pakistan's 
counter-terrorism efforts, but should also bear in mind the 
sensitivity among the Pakistani people with regard to its 
 
BEIJING 00002923  004 OF 004 
 
 
sovereignty and national dignity.  Wang said that China hoped 
for improvements in the relations between Pakistan and 
Afghanistan and their counter-terrorism efforts, adding that 
maintaining "reasonably good" relations between Pakistan and 
India was also crucial for regional security.  China was a 
friend to all countries in the region, Wang claimed, 
suggesting that the international community should be "more 
attentive to the weaker party" in dealing with Pakistan-India 
relations.  Wang was pessimistic on the security situation in 
South Asia and urged the U.S. to consider "root causes" of 
extremism, such as lack of social and economic development, 
adding that China engaged bilaterally with Afghanistan and 
Pakistan to support development. 
 
¶14. (C) The Deputy Secretary echoed Wang's call for economic 
and social development in Af/Pak, noting legislation recently 
passed by Congress providing new economic assistance for 
Pakistan and U.S. efforts to ease the electricity crisis 
there.  On India-Pakistan relations, he stressed the 
importance of demonstrating to both sides that relations with 
the U.S. and China were not zero-sum in nature.  He 
emphasized India's legitimate concern over extremists 
entering the country from Pakistan, and urged Pakistan to 
deal with this problem. 
 
Non-Lethal Trans-shipments Linked to Gitmo Uighurs 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶15. (C) Turning to the U.S. proposal for non-lethal 
transshipments through China to support security efforts in 
Afghanistan, Wang reported that the proposal faced 
"difficulties," adding that China had noted the U.S. handling 
of Uighur inmates in Guantanamo.  He claimed the U.S. actions 
had created an internal problem for China, and that more 
"prudent" actions by the U.S. on the Guantanamo Uighurs would 
help remove "some of the obstacles" on the Chinese side to 
helping with the shipments. 
 
Burma 
----- 
 
¶16. (C) The Deputy Secretary noted the recently-concluded 
U.S. policy review on Burma, and stressed that while our 
objectives of political reform and encouraging openness 
remained the same, we were ready to look at dialogue as an 
effective way of dealing with the issue.  He stressed that 
the issue was another opportunity for increased U.S.-China 
cooperation, and that both sides had a shared interest in 
stability and increased openness from Burma.  Wang responded 
that China welcomed direct U.S. engagement with Burma.  The 
country had many complex problems, but it was ultimately up 
to Burma to solve them; the international community could 
only assist.  Wang claimed that China had stressed to UN 
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that Burma's future was up to 
its government and people.  The international community had 
differing views on the Burmese regime's seven-step roadmap, 
but at least the roadmap demonstrated Burma's desire to 
improve its internal situation and hold general elections. 
Wang expressed concern that focusing solely on sanctions 
would negatively affect the situation in Burma.  He said that 
China had detected improvements in the situation in Burma 
over the last year.  He stressed that ASEAN should play a 
greater role in pushing Burma in a positive direction, and 
that the involvement of major powers from outside the region 
raised suspicions among the junta that the intention was 
regime change. 
 
¶17. (U) The Deputy Secretary cleared this message. 
 
HUNTSMAN 
HUNTSMAN