VZCZCXRO7127
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3037/01 3071147
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031147Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6696
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0680
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4968
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 2672

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003037 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PARM SOCI CH PK IN UK RS EG MY
 
SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 3, 2009 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: AFGHAN ELECTIONS, 
INDIA-CHINA, FINANCIAL CRISIS 
 
¶1. Key points at the October 29 MFA press briefing: 
 
-- China had conveyed congratulations to Hamid Karzai for his 
election victory. 
 
-- China had expressed its "grave concerns" and opposition to 
reports of a planned visit to Arunachal Pradesh by the Dalai Lama. 
 
-- PRC Government remained committed to implementing sound economic 
and financial policies in response to the financial crisis. 
 
-- PRC President Hu Jintao would pay a state visit to Malaysia 
before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. 
 
Afghanistan Elections 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. At the November 3 session of the regular Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs press briefing, spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu noted that China had 
conveyed congratulations to Hamid Karzai for his election victory. 
As a friendly neighbor, China looked forward to the enhancement of 
peace and stability in Afghanistan and development in bilateral 
relations. 
 
Dalai Lama Travel 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. Characterizing the Dalai Lama as "telling lies" and a 
"separatist," Ma claimed comments by the Dalai Lama on Arunchal 
Pradesh were an attempt to damage relations between China and India. 
 China had expressed its "grave concerns" and opposition to reports 
of a planned visit to Arunachal Pradesh by the Dalai Lama. 
 
China-India Relations 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. Ma noted that on October 24 on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit 
in Thailand, PRC Premier Wen Jiabao and Indian Prime Minister 
Manmohan Singh had agreed to make efforts toward the stable 
development of bilateral relations.  Asked about reports of Chinese 
workers traveling to India on fraudulent visas, Ma noted that 
Chinese enterprises had been contracted to develop large scale 
infrastructure projects in India.  Though the companies tried to 
hire local workers, it was sometimes necessary to bring employees 
from China.  China had made representations to India requesting 
simplified visa procedures to facilitate these projects which were 
good for bilateral relations. 
 
China in the G20 and Climate Change 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Asked for China's views on the November 6-7 G20 meeting in 
Scotland, Ma said that the PRC Government remained committed to 
implementing sound economic and financial policies in response to 
the financial crisis. China would take an "objective" view of the 
situation, proceed from national interests and bear in mind the 
international situation.  China supported fiscally proactive 
policies to promote financial development.  Ma said he was unaware 
of any plans for meetings among Brazil, Russia, India and China 
(BRIC) on the margins of the G-20. 
 
Hu in Malaysia 
-------------- 
 
¶5. President Hu Jintao would pay his first state visit to Malaysia 
before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The 
visit would also mark the first time in 15 years that a PRC 
president has visited Malaysia, and would be an important 
development in bilateral relations between the two countries, Ma 
said.  President Hu would meet with King Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi 
Billah Shah and Prime Minister Abdullah Bin Ahmad Badawi to exchange 
views on bilateral issues and sign agreements on cultural and 
educational cooperation. 
 
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in Egypt 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. Asked about Premier Wen Jiabao's discussion on climate change at 
the Nov 8-9 Forum of China-Africa Cooperation, Ma stated that the 
PRC government's position on climate change was very clear.  China 
supported adhering to the Kyoto Protocol, the Bali roadmap and the 
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 
 
Japanese Company Reparations 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. Regarding reports that a Japanese company would compensate 
 
BEIJING 00003037  002 OF 002 
 
 
Chinese citizens for forced labor during World War II, Ma said that 
China hoped Japan would handle the matter properly and take a 
responsible attitude toward history. 
 
Imprisoned British Citizen 
--------------------------- 
 
¶8. Ma noted that only the Ministry of Justice could answer questions 
regarding the case of British citizen Akmal Shaikh, who was 
sentenced to death on narcotics charges in the Xinjiang Uighur 
Autonomous Region in 2007. 
 
 
HUNTSMAN