US embassy cable - 04RANGOON502

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000502 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2014 
TAGS: PREL, SNAR, BM, CH 
SUBJECT: BURMESE NARCOTICS: CHINESE AMBASSADOR ADVOCATES 
ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT 
 
REF: RANGOON 501 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  The Chinese ambassador to Burma advocates 
shifting international focus from counter-drug activities 
toward alternative and long-term development as a means to 
keep farmers from cultivating poppy and producing opium.  He 
said current PRC counternarcotics activities in Burma are 
mostly Yunnan-based, although Beijing is undertaking efforts 
to apply greater central oversight in order to improve 
China's cooperation with international efforts.  We suggested 
that a PRC contribution to UNODC programs would be an 
important sign of China's willingness to coordinate efforts. 
The Chinese ambassador was receptive to the idea.  End 
Comment. 
 
2. (U) On April 6, COM and P/E officers met with Chinese 
Ambassador Li Jinjun to discuss the recent visit of Vice 
Premier Wu Yi and sundry developments in Burma (reftel). 
During that meeting, we had the opportunity to exchange views 
on a variety of counternarcotics issues. 
 
"Move Beyond Anti-drug Activities" 
---------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) Ambassador Li said he had recently visited the Kokang 
border region of northeastern Shan State and concluded, as he 
had in the neighboring Wa region, that counterdrug efforts 
should not be limited to ceasing opium production.  He said 
that the international community should help local poppy 
farmers with alternatives and basic survival.  "Without 
poverty alleviation," Li said, "drugs will stay," adding that 
he anticipates some Wa farmers will be unable to meet the 
2005 opium-free deadline.  Li said that China has provided 
assistance for rubber plantations, but noted that many 
alternative crops had minimal opportunities for value-added 
production and he advocated international support for job 
creation, income generation, and energy production. 
 
4. (C) Ambassador Li observed that Kokang and Wa farmers 
faced severe short-term food shortages that accompanied their 
reduction in poppy cultivation.  He noted the "positive" 
intervention this year of the World Food Program and NGOs to 
provide emergency food assistance (and said that the WFP was 
procuring some food rations from Chinese markets), but said 
that in the long-term farmers needed their own income "to be 
able to buy their own food from China and other sources." 
 
China Seeks Coordination 
------------------------ 
 
5. (C) Li said that to date local authorities in Yunnan 
Province had the primary lead on China's counternarcotics 
efforts in Burma and are engaged in cross-border cooperation, 
investment in factories, and "town to town assistance."  He 
said, however, that authorities in Beijing were undertaking 
new efforts to bring Yunnan-based activities under central 
PRC government control in order to "coordinate 
counternarcotics efforts with the international community, 
including the U.S." 
 
6. (C) The COM asked Ambassador Li about Chinese views on Wa 
druglords who have well known relations with Chinese 
traffickers and investors.  Li responded that the PRC's 
central drug committee is focused on these activities and 
recently opened a branch office in Yunnan Province to monitor 
local anti-drug efforts.  However, Li said his top priority 
remained to shift the focus from counternarcotics activities 
toward development issues and he would continue to "try and 
convince Beijing" to redirect resources appropriately. 
 
Ante Up 
------- 
 
7. (C) In response to Li's stated desire of the PRC to 
encourage greater international cooperation, we urged him to 
seek Beijing assistance for UNODC activities in Burma.  We 
noted that, at China's request, the local version of the 
mini-Dublin group had recently expanded to include the PRC, 
India, and Thailand as recognition of their interest and 
involvement in addressing Burma's drug problems.  Even a 
symbolic PRC contribution to UNODC's Wa or Kokang projects, 
we said, would be an important sign of China's interest in 
improving international coordination, adding that UNODC 
projects contained several alternative development components 
that matched China's objectives more closely than those of 
the U.S. 
 
8. (C) Ambassador Li said the suggestion of a Chinese 
contribution to UNODC was "a very good idea" and he would 
propose it to Beijing.  "Our current approach is at the local 
level," he acknowledged, "and we need be in sync with the 
rest of the international community and the UN framework is 
very effective." 
 
9. (C) Comment: Subsequent to our meeting with Ambassador Li, 
we suggested to UNODC representative Jean-Luc Lemahieu that 
he consider sending copies of his KOWI and Wa project 
proposals to the Chinese Embassy.  He agreed and was pleased 
to learn about Ambassador Li's enthusiasm, but expressed 
doubts that China, a recipient of UN funding, would "tip the 
balance" and donate to a UN program in Burma.  Nonetheless, 
Lemahieu said that in recent months China had stepped up 
counternarcotics activities and in general was becoming 
"increasingly open and cooperative with UN and regional 
activities."  End Comment. 
Martinez