Cablegate: July 22 Vice Minister of Transport Letter To
VZCZCXRO4671
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2868 2060219
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240219Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8769
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS BEIJING 002868
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/TRA DAS JOHN BYERLY
STATE FOR EAP/CM PETER SECOR/JOY YAMAMOTO
TRANSPORTATION FOR DAS SUSAN MCDERMOTT/DAS JOEL SZABAT
TRANSPORTATION FOR X1, X40
TRANSPORTATION FOR BERNESTINE ALLEN/NICOLE PORTER
TREASURY FOR DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TAIYA SMITH
TREASURY FOR AMBASSADOR ALAN HOLMER
TREASURY FOR MANAGING DIRECTOR DAN WRIGHT
STATE PASS USTR ANN MAIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EWWT ELTN CH
SUBJECT: JULY 22 VICE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT LETTER TO
DOT DEPUTY SECRETARY
REF: A) DOT/POST Email July 11
1. (U) The July 22 letter from VM Weng comes in
response to a July 10 letter from Deputy Secretary
Barrett regarding the bilateral Transportation Forum
launched during the Fourth Strategic Economic Dialogue
in Annapolis (Ref A).
2. (U) On July 23, post received via facsimile
diplomatic note No. (2008)092 dated July 22 from the
Dpartment of International Cooperation of the
Ministry of Transport (MOT) transmitting a letter from
MOT Vice Minister Weng Mengyong to United States
Department of Transportation (DOT)Deputy Secretary
Thomas Barrett (Note: Courtey translation provided by
MOT. End Note). Pot e-mailed a scanned version of
the letterto DOT on July 23. The text of the letter
is below.
3. Begin text of MOT translation of letter:
July 22, 2008
H.E. Thomas J. Barrett
Deputy Secretary
Department of Transportation
The United States of America
Your Excellency,
Thank you for your letter dated July 10, 2008. The
Chinese side converges with your proposal on the
division of areas concerning the first project under
the Transportation Forum-the joint study survey on
trade flows and infrastructure development. Now we
are coordinating with relevant ministries and
authorities to follow up the TF initiative and getting
down to the area of "disaster assistance coordination"
under the joint project.
Hereby, I would like to reiterate that the Ministry of
Transport of P.R. China is willing to join hand in
hand with your Department to put in place what we have
agreed upon, make full preparations for the first TF
and promote the efficient, safe and sustainable
development of transportation between both countries.
As for details, Mr. Li Guangling, Deputy Director-
General of the Department of International
Cooperation, will keep closely in touch with Ms. Susan
McDermott of DOT.
I am convinced that the cooperation between our two
organizations will achieve fruitful results.
Please accept, your Excellency, the assurances of my
highest consideration.
Weng Mengyong
Vice Minister of Transport
The People's Republic of China
End text.
PICCUTA