US embassy cable - 01BEIJING10339

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 010339 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/11 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, AF, PK 
SUBJECT: PRC POSITION ON AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE 
 
REF: (A)STATE 176853, (B)BEIJING 10287 
 
(U)  CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JON 
ALOISI.  REASONS 1.5 (B), (D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) AN MFA OFFICIAL ON OCTOBER 12 REPORTED THAT 
CHINA'S POSITION ON THE FUTURE OF AFGHANISTAN WAS 
SIMILAR TO OURS, AS DESCRIBED IN REF A DEMARCHE. 
BEIJING BELIEVED THE NEXT GOVERNMENT OF AFGHANISTAN 
SHOULD BE BROADLY BASED, REPRESENT ALL ETHNIC GROUPS, 
PURSUE FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH ALL OTHER COUNTRIES, AND, 
OF COURSE, OPPOSE TERRORISM.  THE OFFICIAL ALSO STRESSED 
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN 
DETERMINING AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C)  EMBOFFS MET OCTOBER 12 WITH LI JUNHUA, DIRECTOR 
OF THE MFA INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION DEPARTMENT'S 
POLITICAL DIVISION, TO DISCUSS REFTEL DEMARCHE ON 
AFGHANISTAN'S POLITICAL FUTURE.  WE LEFT THE TALKING 
POINTS BEHIND AS A NONPAPER. 
 
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CHINA'S POSITION SIMILAR TO OURS 
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3.  (C)  AFTER LISTENING TO OUR PRESENTATION, LI 
RESPONDED THAT CHINA SHARED MOST OF OUR VIEWS.  BEIJING 
BELIEVED THE NEXT AFGHAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE BROADLY 
BASED, INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL ETHNIC GROUPS, AND 
BE FRIENDLY TO ALL COUNTRIES.  LI REPEATED THE LAST 
POINT, EMPHASIZING THAT AFGHANISTAN SHOULD NOT BE 
HOSTILE TO ANY OTHER COUNTRY.  FINALLY, OF COURSE, IT 
SHOULD OPPOSE TERRORISM. 
 
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IMPORTANT ROLE OF UN 
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4.  (C)  LI CONTINUED THAT CHINA ATTACHED GREAT 
IMPORTANCE TO THE ROLE OF THE UN IN DETERMINING 
AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE.  THE PRC WELCOMED THE APPOINTMENT 
OF LAKHDAR BRAHIMI AS THE SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPECIAL 
ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN.  CHINA WOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH 
BRAHIMI AND HOPED THAT THE UN, PARTICULARLY THE 
SECRETARY GENERAL HIMSELF, WOULD TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE 
IN AFGHANISTAN. 
 
5.  (C)  "LAST BUT NOT LEAST," SAID LI, THE NEXT AFGHAN 
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE AFGHAN PEOPLE. 
IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
TO CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE AFGHAN PEOPLE 
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.  CHINA WAS READY TO WORK WITH THE 
U.S., PAKISTAN, IRAN, AND OTHERS TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION 
TO THE AFGHANISTAN ISSUE. 
 
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COMMENT 
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6.  (C)  LI'S REMARKS AND VFM WANG YI'S EARLIER COMMENTS 
ON THE SAME SUBJECT TO A/S KELLY (REF B) REFLECT AN 
INITIAL CONSENSUS WITHIN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE 
FUTURE OF AFGHANISTAN.  WE KNOW FROM OTHER SOURCES THAT 
THE PRC HAS BEEN WORKING OVERTIME TO FORMULATE A 
POSITION ON THE ISSUE (ONE SOUTH ASIA SCHOLAR SAID HE 
HAD BEEN ATTENDING MEETINGS WITH THE MFA EVERY DAY). 
BEIJING'S FIRST PRIORITY IS A STABLE AFGHANISTAN, WHICH 
THE PRC WILL DEFINE AS ONE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO 
PAKISTAN, ABLE TO MAINTAIN STABILITY ON THE CHINESE- 
AFGHAN BORDER, AND DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO SEPARATISM IN 
CHINA'S WEST.  THE PRC WILL ALSO BE ALERT TO ANY HINT 
THAT THE U.S. MIGHT EXPLOIT THE CURRENT CRISIS TO 
UNDERMINE CHINESE INFLUENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA. 
 
RANDT