US embassy cable - 03ROME3825

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003825 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR DRL/MLA, EAP/CM, EUR/ERA AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, IT, EU, UNHRC-1 
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA: ITALIANS EQUALLY 
PESSIMISTIC BUT AWAIT RESULTS OF FALL EU-CHINA DIALOGUE 
 
    REF: STATE 240681 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POL M/C GARY ROBBINS, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) THE ITALIAN MFA SHARED OUR PESSIMISTIC ASSESSMENT OF 
CHINA'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD THIS YEAR, HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE 
DIRECTOR CALVETTA TOLD US AUGUST 21 (CHINA OFFICE DIRECTOR 
AND STAFF ARE STILL ON VACATION).  SOME OTHER EU 
MEMBER-STATES WERE STILL WEARING ROSE-TINTED SHADES, AND IT 
WAS TOO SOON TO BEGIN DISCUSSING A TOUGHER LINE ON CHINA NEXT 
YEAR.  EU MEMBERS WOULD WANT TO SEE HOW THE UNION'S  DIALOGUE 
WITH THE CHINESE UNFOLDED THIS FALL, ESPECIALLY DURING A 
TROIKA EXCHANGE IN ROME IN NOVEMBER.  BEIJING WAS UNLIKELY TO 
DEMONSTRATE THE KIND OF QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN THE 
DIALOGUE, AND THE PARALLEL CONCRETE ACTIONS, TO SATISFY THE 
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT.  MOREOVER, THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD 
BE INCREASINGLY INCLINED TO PURSUE A TOUGHER LINE WITH 
BEIJING, CALVETTA OBSERVED, REFERRING TO FINANCE MINISTER 
TREMONTI'S RECENT PUBLIC COMMENTS CRITICIZING THE WAVE OF 
CHINESE EXPORTS FLOODING ITALY. 
 
2. (C) COMMENT: WE WOULD BE WELL-SERVED TO PROVIDE AS MUCH 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CHINESE BACKSLIDING ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
TO EU MEMBER-STATES AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN ADVANCE OF THE 
LATE FALL EU-CHINA DIALOGUE.  A RELEASABLE VERSION OF THE 
BACKGROUND PORTION OF REFTEL, DESCRIBING CHINA'S FAILURE TO 
DELIVER ON COMMITMENTS TO THE U.S. THIS YEAR, WOULD BE AN 
EXCELLENT PLACE TO START. 
 
      BUT BELIEVES ADDITIONAL CHINESE PERFIDY DURING THIS 
FALL'S EU-CHINA DIALOGUE WILL BE NEEDED TO CONVINCE SOME 
    OTHER EU MEMBER-STATES TO SUPPORT A TOUGH RESOLUTION AT NEXT 
YEAR'S UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. 
SKODON 
 
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	2003ROME03825 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL