US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE2369

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PINR, PHUM, CH, NL, EUN 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EU/CHINA:  DUTCH LOOKING FOR ACTION 
DURING HUMAN RIGHTS VISIT IN CHINA AND TIBET 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for reasons 1.4(B) AN 
D (D). 
 
1.  SUMMARY: (C)  Dutch EU Presidency representative Piet de 
Klerk, Special Ambassador for Human Rights, will be in Tibet 
from September 20 to 23 and Beijing on September 24 for the 
next round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue.  Poloff 
discussed the confidential agendas with Gerri Willems of the 
MFA's China office (please protect) on September 17.   She 
noted that this visit takes place against the backdrop of the 
EU's grappling with the question of lifting the China Arms 
Embargo.  Willems added that positive Chinese gestures in the 
human rights field would be "very welcome."  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Dutch Special Ambassador for Human Rights Piet de 
Klerk travels to Tibet and China from September 20 to 24 to 
participate in the next round of the semi-annual EU-China 
Human Rights dialogue.  He will have an in-brief at the Dutch 
Embassy in Beijing on September 19. Gerri Willems of the 
MFA's China office (please protect) characterized the trip as 
unusual since de Klerk would spend three full days in Tibet, 
instead of the usual one.  She also noted that having the 
talks against the backdrop of the China Arms Embargo 
discussions gave them additional significance, although she 
did not indicate that the issue itself would be on de Klerk's 
agenda.  She recalled that the Chinese refuse to link human 
rights issues to the embargo, while the EU has long tried to 
take a "two track" approach. 
 
3.  (C)  In Tibet, de Klerk's agenda currently includes 
meetings with government officials, a visit to an EU funded 
project, visits to one or two monasteries, and an NGO 
reception -- although Willems said this was all subject to 
change depending on what Beijing would allow.  The NGO 
reception, she added, would most likely involve "development" 
NGOs, rather than "straightforward human rights NGOs." 
 
4.  (C)  In Beijing, the agenda should follow the normal 
track, Willems said, with reviews of "issues of common 
concern," the "UN process," and EU-China "cooperation in 
legal matters."  Willems said that over the last year the EU 
has been pressing China harder for concrete action in human 
rights, observing that "dialogue" is good, but only up to a 
certain point.  Willems offered that it was her impression 
that the Chinese were generally becoming more and more 
"attuned to the international scene.... Progress is a 
millimeter by millimeter process," she added.  Finally, she 
suggested that "the time would be right for China to make 
positive gestures in the human rights field." 
 
COMMENT 
 
5. (C)  Although she did not state so explicitly, a "positive 
gesture" on human rights would clearly strengthen the hand of 
those in the EU pushing to lift the China Arms Embargo during 
the current Dutch presidency.  In previous meetings on the 
Embargo, de Klerk and others in the MFA dealing with China on 
a regular basis have argued that China's human rights 
"progress" in the 15 years since Tiananmen ought to be 
recognized and encouraged through reciprocal gestures. 
SOBEL