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O 081039Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3903
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 3532
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 4559
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 1774
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 2578
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001247 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2029 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF ECON CH FR JA GM UK
SUBJECT: BEIJING-BASED G-5 CHIEFS OF MISSION ON DPRK, GTMO 
UIGHURS, SINO-JAPAN RELATIONS, DALAI LAMA 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM William Weinstein.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) At the regular meeting of G-5 Ambassadors in Beijing 
May 8, French DCM Nicholas Chapuis reported that State 
Councilor Dai Bingguo told visiting former French President 
Chirac that the West would not gain from more sanctions on 
North Korea.  Dai reportedly said that "the lever of economic 
development" had not been used effectively in Six-Party Talks 
and that a U.S.-DPRK dialogue was "the only way to make 
progress."  German Ambassador Michael Schaefer reported that 
Germany had informed China of the U.S. request to accept some 
Uighur detainees held at Guantanamo and had been subsequently 
warned by China of "a heavy burden on bilateral relations" if 
Germany were to accept any detainees.  Japanese DCM Kunio 
Umeda reported that Premier Wen Jiabao was "tired and seemed 
under a lot of pressure" during his meeting with visiting 
Prime Minister Taro Aso, while President Hu Jintao was 
"relaxed and confident."  According to UK DCM Chris Wood, 
China had requested the UK not allow the Dalai Lama to 
transit London or meet with any government officials.  Wood 
reported that local authorities in Gansu Province had 
detained a British Consul, reflecting the authorities' angst 
over foreigners traveling to the Tibetan regions of the 
province.  End Summary. 
 
Participants 
------------ 
 
¶2. (C) French DCM Nicholas Chapuis hosted German Ambassador 
Dr. Michael Schaefer, Japanese DCM Kunio Umeda, UK DCM Chris 
Wood and Acting DCM May 8 for the regular gathering of 
Beijing-based G-5 Chiefs of Mission. 
 
Chirac's Visit to China, DPRK, Africa 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) French DCM Nicholas Chapuis reported that President Hu 
had not mentioned Tibet in his meeting with visiting former 
French President Jacques Chirac.  State Councilor Dai Bingguo 
had told Chirac that the West would not gain from more 
sanctions on North Korea and that a U.S.-DPRK dialogue was 
"the only way to make progress" in Six-Party Talks.  Dai 
reportedly said that North Korea wanted to open up 
economically and that the "lever of economic development" had 
not been used effectively in Six-Party Talks.  Dai suggested 
to Chirac that, given China and France's "conflict of 
interests" in Africa, the two countries should have a 
dialogue on Africa. 
 
Germany and Guantanamo Uighurs 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) German Ambassador Schaefer said the German State 
Secretary had informed China of the U.S. request to accept 
some Uighur detainees held at Guantanamo, noting that Germany 
had not made a decision regarding the Uighurs.  He noted that 
no German state had yet agreed to accept the detainees. 
Ambassador Schaefer said China had not officially demarched 
Germany but had warned Germany that accepting any Uighur 
detainees would "put enormous pressure on Beijing and a heavy 
burden on bilateral relations." 
 
Sino-Japanese Relations 
----------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Japanese DCM Kunio Umeda reported that PM Taro Aso, 
who had visited Beijing April 29-30, had said Premier Wen 
Jiabao was "very tired and seemed under a lot of pressure" 
from dealing with the economic crisis, while President Hu 
Jintao had seemed "confident and relaxed."  PM Aso had 
requested China not implement its planned compulsory 
certification of IT products in China, while Premier Wen had 
insisted the law was consistent with China's WTO commitments. 
 
Dalai Lama 
---------- 
 
¶6. (C) UK DCM Chris Wood reported that China had requested 
the UK not allow the Dalai Lama to transit London but 
softened the demarche by requesting that government officials 
not meet the Dalai Lama if he were to transit the country. 
French DCM Nicholas Chapuis said China's demarche was part of 
 
BEIJING 00001247  002 OF 002 
 
 
a campaign to limit the Dalai Lama's travel and noted that 
the Beijing city government had threatened to break its 
sister-city relationship with Paris if the Dalai Lama were to 
receive an honorary citizen award from the French capital. 
Ambassador Schaefer said Germany had not received such 
demands from the Chinese, in spite of the Dalai Lama's 
frequent trips to Germany. 
 
Harassment of UK Embassy Staff in Gansu 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) UK DCM Wood said UK Energy and Climate Change 
Secretary Ed Miliband had recently visited Gansu Province and 
had been accompanied by a British journalist from "The 
Guardian."  According to Woodward, local Chinese authorities 
had briefly detained a British Consul to express displeasure 
with the accompanying journalist, who had stayed in Gansu 
without the authorities' permission after Secretary Miliband 
had departed.  "Local goons" had come to the traveling 
delegation's hotel and threatened to follow a UK Embassy 
female staffer (but did not).  In addition, a British 
"Financial Times" reporter in Sichuan had been harassed by 
local authorities who were apparently upset by the 
journalist's interest in reporting on schools destroyed 
during the Sichuan earthquake. 
 
Climate Change 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (C) UK DCM Wood said the UK Environment and Science 
Minister had recently had talks with Chinese officials on 
climate change.  In the lead up to Copenhagen, China would 
not agree to targets on emissions but was willing to be 
constructive and would come to Copenhagen with a package of 
action items related to nuclear power, renewable energy and 
reforestation.  Wood said his impression was that China could 
be induced to do more on climate change. 
 
Rule of Law 
----------- 
 
¶9. (C) Ambassador Schaefer reported that German Minister of 
Justice Brigitte Zypries recently had visited China to attend 
a three-day rule of law dialogue on social security and 
pensions that was attended by 45 Chinese lawyers and judges. 
Schaefer said Germany and China would have another dialogue 
on a proposed law on regulating lawyers, noting that the 
Chinese Government was looking to give lawyers "more space" 
without giving up control. 
PICCUTA