VZCZCXRO7499
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #4344/01 3400912
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060912Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2789
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 024344
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ETRD CH RP JA KS KN
SUBJECT: MFA BRIEFING ON EAST ASIA SUMMIT, CHINA-ASEAN
MEETINGS AND PREMIER WEN?S STATE VISIT TO THE
PHILIPPINES
Summary
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1. On December 6, Assistant Foreign Minister Cui
Tiankai held a special press briefing outlining
Premier Wen Jiabao?s upcoming planned state visit to
the Philippines and Chinese participation in ASEAN-
related events in Cebu from December 11-15. Wen will
attend the East Asia Summit, China-ASEAN meeting,
ASEAN-plus-Three meeting and will chair the Northeast
Asian Leaders Trilateral Meeting before finishing the
trip with a State Visit. The DPRK nuclear issue,
energy security and trade will be among the key issues
discussed, he said. Answering reporter?s questions,
Cui said China remains willing to be in touch with the
United States about the EAS even though the United
States is excluded from the Summit. End Summary.
East Asia Summit
----------------
2. PM Wen will head a PRC delegation that includes
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Commerce Minister Bo
Xilai and others for the second East Asia Summit (EAS)
and other upcoming ASEAN-related meetings in Cebu,
Philippines, AFM Cui said. China views the December
13 EAS as an open and inclusive platform for East
Asian communication and cooperation, not in
competition with ASEAN. Energy security will be high
on the agenda and China believes there is room for
cooperation in this field among the 16 participating
countries. China will also discuss the orientation of
future summits and make proposals in priority areas
including avian flu, trade, finance, disaster relief
and education, Cui said.
Northeast Asian Trilateral Leaders Meeting
------------------------------------------
3. PM Wen will chair the seventh China-Japan-ROK
Leaders Meeting, during which he will meet with
Japanese PM Abe, Cui said. Resumption of these
trilateral meetings promotes peaceful development and
security in the region, Cui said. The meeting will
promote trilateral cooperation and China will make
proposals for specific cooperative projects in
political, economic, trade and cultural fields.
Responding to a reporter's question, Cui said the
meeting would also discuss the DPRK nuclear issue.
China-Japan bilateral issues will not be a central
element of the meeting, but the interaction between
Chinese and Japanese leaders since the agreement in
October to overcome political obstacles (e.g. Yasukuni
issue) indicates that relations continue to develop in
a positive direction, Cui said.
ASEAN-Plus-Three Summit
------------------------
4. The tenth ASEAN-Plus-Three Summit on December 11
will review past cooperation while planning to
strengthen and deepen future cooperation between ASEAN
and its northeast Asian partners. China will make
proposals on disaster relief, women's issues, finance
and poverty relief. China hopes to take advantage of
next year's Tenth Anniversary of the ASEAN-Plus-Three
Summit to create strategic plans and to solidify
ASEAN-Plus-Three as a main channel of East Asian
regional cooperation.
10th ASEAN-China Summit
-----------------------
5. Wen's participation in the tenth ASEAN-China Summit
December 11 will build on consensus reached between
Wen and ASEAN leaders in the November China-ASEAN 15th
Anniversary meeting hosted by China in Nanning. The
meeting will discuss material assistance by China to
ASEAN, review recent progress and develop concrete
plans for next year. Three documents will be signed,
although Cui did not disclose their content or
subject-matter.
State Visit to the Philippines
------------------------------
6. At the invitation of President Arroyo, PM Wen will
pay a state visit to the Philippines following the
ASEAN meetings. PM Wen will work to deepen Beijing's
strategic cooperative relationship with Manila and
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will meet President Arroyo, Vice President de Castro,
Senate President Villar and Speaker of the House de
Venecia. Agreements concerning economic cooperation,
trade, infrastructure and cultural protection will be
signed. AFM Cui expressed China?s concern about the
welfare of the Philippine people in the aftermath of
Typhoon Durian and noted that China has made a USD
250,000 donation to relief efforts.
U.S. An Important Part of Asian Affairs But Not In EAS
--------------------------------------------- ---------
7. A reporter asked AFM Cui if there would be
representatives from the United States attending the
meetings in Cebu in light of what the reporter
described as the unease caused last year when the
United States was not invited. Cui said he has often
discussed East Asian cooperation with his United
States counterparts and China recognizes that the
United States is an important cooperative partner with
close ties to the region. The regional cooperation
symbolized by the EAS is open, gradual and mutually
beneficial, he said. It is complementary, not
exclusive. The United States has interests in the
region and China welcomes such non-regional countries
to enhance their cooperation with East Asian
cooperative mechanisms, Cui said.