Cablegate: Prc Response to U.S. Unga Third Committee

VZCZCXRO9846
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #2962 2980957
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250957Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6588
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2243

UNCLAS BEIJING 002962

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CH PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: PRC RESPONSE TO U.S. UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE
PRIORITIES

REF: STATE 109397

1. (SBU) On October 23, PolOff delivered to MFA International
Organizations and Conferences Department Human Rights Affairs
Division Deputy Director Yao Shaojun reftel points on U.S.
priorities for the upcoming session of the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee session (covering human
rights-related issues). Yao thanked PolOff for sharing U.S.
concerns on Third Committee issues, which he said he would
report to his superiors. Yao shared his "preliminary
reaction" on the U.S. priorities.

2. (SBU) On no-action motions, Yao pointed out that in the
Chinese view, such motions were a legal tool and were in the
rules of procedure for the Third Committee. Yao suggested
that a fundamental means to stop the use of no-action motions
would be to stop the "politicization" of human rights issues,
both in the Third Committee and the Human Rights Council.

3. (SBU) With regard to country-specific resolutions, Yao
related that China believed the best way to resolve such
human rights concerns was to have a "sincere dialogue" with
those countries or offer "sincere help" to them. Such
"naming and shaming," both in history and in practice, did
not lead to the desired results. In general, China did not
support country-specific resolutions, Yao added. If there
were a need for such a resolution, China hoped that there
would be a broad consensus among the countries in the region
surrounding the subject country.

4. (SBU) On defamation, while China saw the U.S. point of
view, it was a reality that this type of speech existed, Yao
stated. In response to the three suggested U.S. alternate
means to combat negative stereotyping of religion (see reftel
para 6), Yao said that the best way forward would be to find
common ground by combining OIC country objectives and
concerns with the U.S. point of view. Yao urged the U.S. to
have more dialogue with OIC countries on this issue.

5. (SBU) Finally, Yao said he believed that China would have
"no problem" with the U.S. biennial resolution on free
elections and expressed hope that such a resolution would not
contain any "political content."
HUNTSMAN

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