VZCZCXRO6217
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3338/01 3490854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150854Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7234
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003338 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PARM MNUC KNNP SENV CH KN CB TH JP CA
FR 
 
SUBJECT: DECEMBER 15, 2009 MFA PRESS BRIEFING: NORTH KOREA CARGO 
PLANE IN THAILAND, LIU XIAOBO, UIGHURS IN CAMBODIA, CLIMATE CHANGE 
 
¶1. Key points at the December 15 MFA press briefing were: 
 
-- It is up to the UN Security Council to consider the cargo plane 
detained in Thailand for suspected arms smuggling. 
 
-- Western criticism of China's persecution of Charter 08 signer Liu 
Xiaobo is "unacceptable." 
 
-- The 22 Uighurs seeking asylum in Cambodia were "involved in 
crimes" and are being investigated by Chinese authorities. 
 
Thai Interception of North Korean Arms 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. At the December 15 regular Foreign Ministry press conference, 
spokesperson Jiang Yu said that she had "noted reports" that the 
Royal Thai Government had detained a cargo plane believed to have 
been carrying arms from North Korea.  It would be up to the UN 
Security Council to decide whether these actions were in line with 
relevant resolutions, said Jiang. 
 
 
Liu Xiaobo 
---------- 
 
¶3. Western criticism of China's persecution of Charter 08 signer Liu 
Xiaobo was "unacceptable," said the spokesperson.  China was a 
country ruled by law and would brook no interference in its legal 
system.  In China, only the guilty faced punishment and China 
opposed foreign forces use of such cases against China, said Jiang. 
 
Uighur Asylum Seekers 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. The 22 Uighurs seeking asylum in Cambodia were "involved in 
crimes" and were being investigated by Chinese authorities, said 
Jiang.  International refugee protection systems should not be used 
as a haven for criminals. 
 
He Yafei Comments, and Copenhagen Conference 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. On December 14, in an interview in Copenhagen with the Financial 
Times, China's Vice Foreign Minister, He Yafei, was quoted as saying 
"financial resources for the efforts of developing countries (to 
combat climate change) are a legal obligation."  "That does not mean 
China will take a share - probably not. We do not expect money will 
flow from the US, UK (and others) to China."  At the press briefing, 
Jiang attempted to clarify He's statement.  Jiang said that China 
understood and attached great importance to the concerns of 
developing, African and small island nations.  China was willing to 
give priority to these nations when dispersing UN funds to fight 
climate change. Developed countries had an obligation to support 
developing countries' efforts to combat climate change, however. 
Jiang claimed that in the years since the creation of the UN 
Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), the commitments of 
the developed world remained "on paper only."  China had worked to 
combat climate change using its own resources, but with more 
support, it could do more.  Developed countries should work to 
provide "extra, fresh and adequate" support to developing 
countries. 
 
¶6. Wen Jiabao would depart for Copenhagen on December 16 to make an 
important speech, said Jiang.  China believed that relevant parties 
should strengthen cooperation and expend political will to reach an 
agreement.  Any setbacks at the Copenhagen conference were the 
result of "regression" in the positions of developed countries 
regarding technical and financial support, said Jiang.  Developed 
countries now sought to abandon the FCCC, the Kyoto Protocols and 
the Bali Roadmap and had put forward a "plethora" of demands on 
developing countries, Jiang claimed.  It was the legal obligation of 
developed countries to take the lead on emissions reductions and to 
support the development of less developed nations.  China was 
coordinating its position with developing countries and would 
continue to follow the FCCC, Kyoto Protocols and the Bali Roadmap. 
 
 
Canadian Repatriation 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. Lai Changxing is a Chinese citizen who was head of the 
Xiamen-based Yuanhua Group -- a firm implicated in a large smuggling 
and corruption scandal in the late 1990s. Lai resides in Vancouver, 
British Columbia and is often described as "China's most wanted 
fugitive."  At the press briefing, Jiang observed that China had 
"taken note" of reports that Lai Changxing was not on a list of 
Chinese citizens who would be repatriated to China by Canada.  China 
and Canada maintained cooperation in areas of law enforcement and 
would soon sign an MOU on combating cross-border crime.  Lai was a 
criminal wanted by Chinese public security forces and should be 
 
BEIJING 00003338  002 OF 002 
 
 
returned to China for processing, said Jiang. 
 
French Visit 
------------ 
 
¶8. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon would visit China from 
December 20-22. During his visit Fillon would meet with President Hu 
Jintao, NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao to exchange 
views on the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership and 
other major issues of strategic concern.  China-France relations had 
recently seen sound development, increased high level exchanges and 
active cooperation.  China was willing to work with France to 
implement the consensus for future bilateral development. 
 
Xi Jinping to Japan 
------------------- 
 
¶9. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping recently completed his meeting 
with Japanese Emperor Akihito, said Jiang.  The visit of Xi to Japan 
would play an important role in the development of the "strategic 
and mutually beneficial" relationship between the two countries. 
Xi's visit was progressing smoothly and the Japanese Government had 
made "very considerate arrangements." 
 
 
 
 
GOLDBERG