VZCZCXRO8909
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHGI #0237/01 3081601
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 041601Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGUI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1073
INFO RHMFISS/AFRICOM
RUEHBZ/AMEMBASSY BRAZZAVILLE 0228
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0333
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0344
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0243
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0184
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0174
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0532
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0517
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0166
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0505
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0015
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1354

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGUI 000237 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C 
USUN FOR DMUERS 
PARIS FOR RKANEDA 
LONDON FOR PLORD 
NAIROBI  FOR AKARAS 
AFRICOM FOR JKUGEL 
INR FOR CNEARY 
DRL FOR SCRAMPTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR ECON CT
SUBJECT: GROWING CHINESE INFLUENCE IN THE CAR EVIDENT 
 
REF: A. A- BANGUI 219 AND PREVIOUS 
     ¶B. REF: B - BANGUI 212 AND PREVIOUS 
 
BANGUI 00000237  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A growing Sino-Central African (CAR) 
relationship is becoming increasingly evident in the CAR. 
President Bozize recently concluded his second state visit to 
China and sent another trade delegation back to Beijing shortly 
thereafter. Last week, the Chinese Ambassador laid the 
cornerstone for a new 100 bed hospital and announced earlier in 
the month a plan to ease the CAR's electrical crisis and begin 
oil exploration in the north of the country. This interest in 
oil may explain an unexpected and sudden decrease in tension in 
the CAR's troubled northeastern region of the Vakaga. Post 
suspects, from discussions with various reliable sources that 
the Chinese may have been the driving force, through Sudanese 
good offices, behind a local peace deal that is report to have 
significantly eased tensions which previously threatened to 
spill over into violence. While ethnic conflict in the Vakaga 
may still flair up, it is clear that China is making a strong 
economic and political play in the CAR. It seems equally clear 
that Bozize's government is welcoming this relationship as an 
alternative to more restrictive relations with the French and 
the West.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) During the Cold War, the CAR vacillated between 
recognizing China and Taiwan, depending on who was offering 
better terms, but since the early 1990's the Central Africans 
have recognized and increasingly favored the People's Republic. 
In addition to the new hospital and the administration's recent 
high-profile trips to China, some examples of this growing 
relationship are: 
 
-- In 2007, a Chinese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs visited 
the CAR to explore cooperation in the forestry and petroleum 
sectors. 
 
-- In comparison to AmEmbassy Bangui, which is functioning with 
four resident American officers (all State), the Chinese embassy 
has approximately 40 employees and is ramping up its military 
cooperation, public diplomacy and development efforts. 
 
-- Currently, the Chinese have subcontracted the building of a 
massive hotel previously begun by the Libyan government and have 
various health and agriculture programs underway. 
 
-- Post also understands that a Chinese company has purchased a 
significant part of the French uranium company AREVA's interest 
in Central African mines. Similarly, there are repeated rumors 
of their interest in the iron discovery on the Canadian company 
AXMIN's concession north of Bambari. This might even include 
construction of a railroad. 
 
-- Approximately 40 CAR military officers go to China for 
training each year; a number which dwarfs the two or three IMET 
students sent to the United States and the 10 to 15 sent to 
training by the French. And, perhaps more to the point, this 
training is unlikely to include an annoying (from the CARG point 
of view) human rights element. 
 
-- Cooperation does not stop at infrastructure and military 
cooperation, a week of Chinese Culture was recently celebrated, 
and articles (placed and paid for by the Chinese Embassy) 
extolling the virtues of China are now mainstays in Bangui's 
leading newspapers. This public diplomacy campaign is new this 
year. 
 
Details are difficult to come by as the Central Africans are 
very careful in discussing their dealing with the Chinese, but 
 
BANGUI 00000237  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
the infrastructure and cultural projects are evident and 
symbolic of a deepening relationship. 
 
¶3. (SBU) While Bozize's trip to China was overtly political, 
Post has not previously seen what it suspects to be Chinese 
activity in the internal affairs of the CAR. During an October 
trip to the Vakaga with the P-5 ambassadors (Ref A), Poloff 
remarked that the Chinese Ambassador asked very direct, and 
surprisingly basic, questions about what was needed for a 
solution to the crisis. It was clear at the time that a 
political agreement between the local warring factions was still 
lacking and tensions remained high. At one point, Ambassador Shi 
Hu asked the particularly influential Sudanese consul if the 
Government of Sudan could broker a deal. (COMMENT: At the time, 
these seemed to be questions of a naove observer, new to the 
troubles in the Vakaga, but we now suspect that the Ambassador 
was perhaps attempting to assess how to pacify the area to make 
it safe for Chinese research teams.  END COMMENT.). 
 
¶4. (SBU) On November 2, the National Assembly Deputy from Birao, 
Vakaga, called on the DCM.  Unexpectedly, the Deputy stated that 
the factions, thought to be on the brink of renewed conflict, 
have agreed to disarm. Pressed as to the reasons why this ease 
in tension came about so unexpectedly, the Deputy said a newly 
formed ``council of wise people'' had cleared up the differences 
between the ethnicities, and each group now hopes to join the 
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration process (Ref B). 
 
¶5. (SBU) On November 3,  Poloff met with a very well-informed 
western military observer who confirmed that he too had heard of 
the rapid decrease in tensions in the Vakaga, though he was 
notified by  the rebels, not the CARG. He put forth the 
following hypotheses: Sudan - which, through its Consul in Birao 
and various economic interests, virtually controls the Vakaga - 
has brokered a deal between the warring factions.  The contact 
speculated that this was done at the behest of China as he has 
concrete information that the oil fields that the Chinese 
ambassador mentioned are just northwest of Birao, and the 
Chinese do not want instability jeopardizing the project (NOTE: 
The Chinese were dismayed by the killing of several of their oil 
exploration personnel in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia a few 
years ago and may be expected to be cautious in the CAR. END 
NOTE.) Furthermore, the contact confirmed that eight Chinese 
officials arrived at the Birao airport last week for unspecified 
reasons. This is a tremendous number in a region which has 
almost no contact with outsiders other than MINURCAT and a few 
NGOs. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: The Chinese have steadily increased their 
visibility and influence in the CAR, a country rich in untapped 
natural resources.  During the Chinese national day reception on 
October 1, CARG officials and Ambassador Shi Hu lavished praise 
on one another and predicted an economic renaissance for the 
CAR, even as the electricity failed repeatedly.  With French 
investments moribund and French influence in general decline, 
the Chinese are likely positioning themselves as the CAR's 
primary benefactor in exchange for access to the CAR's ample 
deposits of uranium, gold, iron, diamonds, and possibly oil. 
Although Chinese aid and investment is unlikely to come with 
troublesome caveats regarding democratic practices and economic 
transparency, they are apparently interested in promoting the 
pacification of troubled areas in northern CAR in order to 
protect their own interests and personnel. The full extent of 
Chinese involvement in the CAR is still subject to some 
conjecture, but it appears clear that: 
 
-- The Chinese are actively seeking greatly expanded influence 
 
BANGUI 00000237  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
in the CAR, almost certainly to gain access to economic 
resources; and, 
 
-- President Bozize may increasingly embrace the Chinese as an 
alternative to the French and other Western benefactors. 
 
It is also clear that President Bozize has less and less reason 
to listen to the United States messages encouraging transparency 
in governance and respect for human rights. END COMMENT. 
COOK