Cablegate: December 15, 2009 Mfa Press Briefing: North Korea Cargo

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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

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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

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