This State Department cable provides Washington with a round-up of a press briefing held in China where Chinese government officials were questioned about world affairs. Al-Qaeda's role with Chinese separatists; Pakistan; and the Middle East peace efforts are all addressed.
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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AIT-03 A-00 ACQ-00 CA-01
CCO-00 CG-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 INL-00 C-00
DODE700 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-DO
EUR-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
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AC-01 NEA-00 DCP-01 NRCE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OCS-03
OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00
P-00 . SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00
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6Z /38 5C77A7 24113
O 240652Z JAN 02
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4539
INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
AMEMBASSY CAIRO
AMEMBASSY AMMAN
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
AMCONSUL SHENYANG
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 BEIJIN 00649 01 OF 03 241135Z
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
A•T TAIPEI 9597
AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AMCONSUL CHENGDU
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 000649
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL, PTER, CH
SUBJECT: JANUARY 24 MFA PRESS BRIEFING
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UNI1etrSr1eAnIrESql1EWVI4LKIIBRIXHD REVIEW AUTHORITY: SHARON E AHMAD DATE/CASE ID: 03 NOV 2004 200303827
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SUMMARY
1. AT THE REGULAR BI-WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING MFA
SPOKESMAN SUN YUXI SAID CHINA WOULD CONTINUE TO OFFER
RECONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN "WITHIN ITS
CAPABILITIES." CHINA HOPES THE INTERIM AND FUTURE
GOVERNMENTS OF AFGHANISTAN WILL MAINTAIN FRIENDLY
RELATIONS WITH ALL NEIGHBORS AND THAT AFGHANISTAN WILL
TAKE ITS PLACE AS A RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, SUN SAID. AFTER TALKS IN
BEIJING, CHAIRMAN KARZAI "FULLY UNDERSTANDS" CHINA'S
CONCERNS OVER "EAST TURKESTAN TERRORISM" AND AFGHANISTAN
WILL RETURN ANY "EAST TURKESTAN TERRORISTS" TO CHINA,
SUN SAID. •THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS AMPLEEVIDENCE
.
THAT SOME "EAST TURKESTAN MEMBERS" RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM
USAMA BIN LADEN AND PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR IN
AFGHANISTAN, SUN ASSERTED. THE FIGHT AGAINST THE "EAST
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TURKESTAN" MOVEMENT SHOULD CONSTITUTE A PART OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S COUNTERTERRORISM ENDEAVORS, HE
MAINTAINED. SUN CONFIRMED THAT A CANADIAN FALUN GONG
PRACTITIONER WAS ARRESTED ON TIANANMEN SQUARE AND WOULD
BE DEPORTED. CHINA BELIEVED U.S.-HELD AL-QAIDA
PRISONERS SHOULD BE "HANDLED ACCORDING TO THE GENEVA
CONVENTION AND TREATED AS PRISONERS OF WAR" SUN SAID.
PRESIDENT JIANG RECEIVED A LETTER JANUARY 22 FROM YASSER
ARAFAT STATING THE PALESTINIANS WILL LIVE UP TO CEASE-
FIRE COMMITMENTS AND APPEALING TO CHINA TO INCREASE ITS
EFFORTS TO SALVAGE THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. END
SUMMARY.
AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE
2. BLOOMBERG ASKED WHETHER CHINA INTENDED TO INCREASE
ITS DONATIONS TO THE AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION INITIATIVE
BEYOND THE USD ONE MILLION IT PLEDGED AT THE TOKYO
CONFERENCE. SUN REPLIED THAT CHINA HAS ALREADY DONATED
RMB 30 MILLION (USD 3.6 MILLION) IN HUMANITARIAN
SUPPLIES TO AFGHANISTAN IN ADDITION TO THE USD ONE
MILLION IN CASH PLEDGED IN TOKYO. THE CASH WAS RELEASED
TO AIA CHAIRMAN KARZAI ON JANUARY 23 DURING MEETINGS IN
BEIJING WITH PREMIER ZHU RONGJI, SUN SAID. IN THE
FUTURE; CHINA WILL OFFER ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN
"WITHIN ITS CAPABILITIES AND ACCORDING TO THE SITUATION
IN AFGHANISTAN." CHINA WILL DETAIL FUTURE PLANS "IN DUE
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5C77BE 241136Z /38
O 240652Z JAN 02
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4540
INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS .
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV'
AMEMBASSY CAIRO
AMEMBASSY AMMAN
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
AMCONSUL SHENYANG
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 BEIJIN 00649 02 OF 03 241136Z
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
AIT TAIPEI 9598
AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AMCONSUL CHENGDU
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 BEIJING 000649
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL, PTER, CH
SUBJECT: JANUARY 24 MFA PRESS•BRIEFING
USAMA BIN LADEN (UBL), CHINA IS SEEKING SUPPORT FROM THE
U.S. IN ITS DOMESTIC ANTI-SEPARATIST CAMPAIGN. SUN
RESPONDED THAT CHINA BELIEVES TERRORISM IS THE COMMON
ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY. THE "EAST TURKESTAN" GROUPS HAVE
LONG RECEIVED TRAINING AND SUPPORT FROM "UBL FORCES,"
AND THEIR "SERIOUS TERRORIST ACTIVITIES" IN XINJIANG HAD
DAMAGED THE PROPERTY AND LIVES OF INNOCENT PEOPLE, SUN
ASSERTED. RECENTLY, THE STATE COUNCIL PROMULGATED
"IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS" OUTLINING EVIDENCE AGAINST THE
"EAST TURKESTAN" GROUPS, SUN NOTED. THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT HAS AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT SOME "EAST TURKESTAN
MEMBERS" PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN. THE
MOVEMENT IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION THAT SHOULD BE
"STRONGLY COMBATED," SUN ASSERTED. THE FIGHT AGAINST
THE "EAST TURKESTAN" MOVEMENT SHOULD CONSTITUTE A PART
(
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OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S COUNTERTERRORISM
EFFORTS, SUN STATED. CHINA HAS THE RESOLVE AND THE
CAPABILITY TO FIGHT THE SEPARATISTS AND SHOULD RECEIVE
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THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT AND COOPERATION,
SUN STATED.
5.
AP ASKED WHETHER, DURING KARZAI'S BEIJING VISIT,
CHINA WOULD REQUEST THE EXTRADITION OF ANY "EAST
TURKESTAN" INDIVIDUALS BEING HELD IN AFGHANISTAN. SUN
SAID THAT DURING HIS TALKS WITH CHAIRMAN KARZAI PREMIER
ZHU BRIEFED ON CHINESE COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS AGAINST
"EAST TURKESTAN" SEPARATISTS. CHAIRMAN KARZAI "FULLY
UNDERSTANDS" CHINA'S CONCERNS, SUN ASSERTED, AND THE AIA
WOULD RETURN ANY "EAST TURKESTAN TERRORISTS" TO CHINA.
6.
THE CHICAGO TIMES ASKED HOW SUCH PRISONERS WOULD BE
HANDLED IN CHINA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED, SUN SAID, THAT
SUCH INDIVIDUALS ARE TERRORISTS WHO HAVE BROKEN LAWS AND
COMMITTED CRIMES AND THEY WOULD BE HANDLED ACCORDING TO
LAW.
7.
AP ASKED IF CHINA PLANNED TO RELEASE FURTHER EVIDENCE ON TERRORIST ACTIVITY BY "EAST TURKESTAN" GROUPS. SUN REPLIED THERE IS "AMPLE AND COMPELLING EVIDENCE" INDICATING THE GROUPS WERE SUPPORTED AND TRAINED BY UBL. THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND TO HAVE COOPERATED WITH OTHER TERRORISTS IN AFGHANISTAN AND TO HAVE COMMITTED TERRORIST ACTS IN "OTHER PLACES."
UBL/MULLAH OMAR WHEREABOUTS
8. PRESS TRUST OF INDIA ASKED IF KARZAI PROVIDED CHINA
ANY INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF UBL OR MULLAH UNCLASSIFIED
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OMAR. SUN REPLIED THAT HE HAS NOTED THERE IS NOW A
LARGE REWARD FOR THE CAPTURE OF UBL OR MULLAH OMAR BUT
HAS HEARD NO NEWS OF THEIR LOCATIONS. CHINA HOPES BOTH
INDIVIDUALS WILL BE APPREHENDED SOON AND BROUGHT TO
JUSTICE.
ARAFAT'S LETTER TO PRESIDENT JIANG
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AMEMBASSY SEOUL
AMCONSUL SHENYANG
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
UNCLASSIFIED
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AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
AIT TAIPEI 9599
AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AMCONSUL CHENGDU
-USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 03 BEIJING 000649
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TAGS: PREL, PTER, CH
SUBJECT: JANUARY 24 MFA PRESS BRIEFING
INDISCRIMINATE FORCE BY ISRAEL, SUN ADDED. CHINA ALSO
ADVOCATES A STRONGER ROLE FOR THE UNSC IN SEEKING A
RESOLUTION TO THE CONFLICT.
JAPAN-DPRK TALKS
10. AP ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF TALKS, HELD IN CHINA,
BETWEEN THE JAPANESE AND DPRK GOVERNMENTS ON THE RECENT
SHIP SINKING. SUN REPLIED THAT CHINA WELCOMES EFFORTS
BY JAPAN AND THE DPRK TO IMPROVE BILATERAL RELATIONS.
CHINA HOPES THAT SUCH EFFORTS WILL HELP TO ENHANCE THE
STABILITY AND SECURITY IN THE REGION. SUN SAID THAT ANY
CONSULTATIONS WERE BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE DPRK BUT CHINA
ALWAYS STOOD READY TO HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS.
PLANE BUGS
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11. AFP ASKED FOR COMMENT ON MEDIA REPORTS THAT
LISTENING DEVICES WERE DISCOVERED IN PRESIDENT JIANG'S
NEW PLANE AFTER ITS DELIVERY FROM THE U.S. SUN REPLIED
THAT IT IS "TOTALLY UNNECESSARY AND STUPID TO BUG
CHINA."
CANADIAN FLG PRACTITIONER ARRESTED
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12. AP ASKED FOR DETAILS ON THE ARREST OF A CANADIAN
FALUN GONG (FLG) PRACTITIONER ON TIANANMEN SQUARE. SUN
SAID THAT ON JANUARY 23 A CANADIAN FLG PRACTITIONER
"CAUSED -TROUBLE" ON TIANANMEN SQUARE. THE INDIVIDUAL
. VIOLATED CHINESE LAWS ON "PUBLIC GATHERINGS AND PARADES"
AND CIVIL REGULATIONS. SECURITY PERSONNEL REMOVED AND
DETAINED THE INDIVIDUAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW. THE
CANADIAN EMBASSY HAS BEEN INFORMED THAT THE INDIVIDUAL
WILL BE DEPORTED, SUN SAID.
AL-QAIDA DETAINEES
13. AFP ASKED FOR COMMENT ON THE U.S. DETENTION OF AL-
QAIDA PRISONERS AT THE GUANTANAMO NAVAL BASE. SUN
REPLIED THAT THE GENEVA CONVENTION CLEARLY STIPULATES
THAT FIGHTERS SHOULD BE TREATED AS PRISONERS OF WAR.
THE "RELEVANT PARTIES" SHOULD HANDLE THE PRISONERS
ACCORDING TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION, SUN ADDED.
U.S. DEFENSE BUDGET
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14. REUTERS ASKED FOR CHINA'S POSITION ON PRESIDENT
BUSH'S DEFENSE BUDGET REQUEST. SUN REPLIED THAT
INTERACTIONS AMONG THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD BE
BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT. ANY COUNTRY'S
SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED WITH THE
ULTIMATE GOAL OF SAFEGUARDING WORLD PEACE. THE U.S.
DEFENSE BUDGET IS AN INTERNAL POLICY DECISION AND FOR
THE U.S. TO DECIDE, SUN SAID.
RANDT
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