US embassy cable - 04SANTODOMINGO6656

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 006656 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, EAP/CM, EAP/TC; STATE PASS 
AIT/W; EB/TPP/BTA, EB/IFD/OMA; USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD; 
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION 
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, ETRD, EINV, PINR, CH, TW, DR 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: PRC REPRESENTATIVE PUSHES 
RECOGNITION 
 
REF: SANTO DOMINGO 6472 
 
1. (SBU) During a courtesy call December 10, the head of the 
Santo Domingo 
Commercial Development Office of the People's Republic of 
China Cai Weiquan 
told Charge Kubiske that his purpose in the Dominican 
Republic is to encourage it to switch diplomatic recognition, 
recognizing Beijing instead of Taipei.  PRC investment in the 
Dominican Republic, he acknowledged, depended on it.  So, 
far, he said, the Dominican Government so far has given no 
indication that it will switch recognition; the PRC reps have 
been told only that authorities of the current Dominican 
administration are "thinking about" the proposal.  Cai hoped 
we could help convince the Dominicans on recognition.  Charge 
replied that this was matter between the PRC and the 
Dominican Republic. 
 
2. (SBU) Cai arrived six months ago as the commercial rep and 
has already arranged visits by three PRC 
commercial/investment delegations.  He has also promoted 
travel by Dominican politicians and businesspersons to China, 
including a trip by 10 Dominican 
senators (reftel). 
 
3. (SBU) Cai cited two obstacles to developing a larger 
relationship with the 
Dominican Republic: 
 
-- Lack of information among Dominicans about today's China 
-- now opening up 
to the world -- and about the realities of globalization and 
free trade; and 
 
-- The absence of diplomatic relations, which is preventing 
the development of 
a legal framework to facilitate trade and investment. 
 
4. (SBU) Cai noted that trade between China and the Dominican 
Republic is 
unbalanced in favor of China.  He claimed not to be an 
economist, nor to be 
current on details of investment projects cited reftel. 
These include 
negotiations by a Chinese firm to take over the Canadian 
mining enterprise 
Falconbridge including its Dominican affiliate and about 
other Chinese bids to 
purchase a 50 percent share in the Caucedo container port. 
 
5. (SBU) The PRC commercial office in Santo Domingo has a 
staff of three PRC 
citizens and two local hires, Cai said. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment:  This conversation did not change our 
recent analysis 
(reftel) of the PRC's charm offensive here or of the 
Dominicans' growing but 
still noncommittal interest in what China has to offer.  End 
comment. 
 
7. (SBU) Bio data:  Cai Weiquan, a career diplomat of tbe PRC 
foreign ministry, 
served previously in Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador.  He has a 
master's degree in 
international economics and political affairs from a Mexican 
university and an 
undergraduate degree in political science in China.  He 
speaks excellent 
Spanish, but claims to speak "not much English."  From Fujian 
province, Cai now 
has family in Beijing. 
KUBISKE