US embassy cable - 05MANILA1257

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 001257 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/PMBS 
DOD FOR ISA/BG ALLEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, CH, RP 
SUBJECT: ROMULO'S CHINA TRIP FIXES DATES FOR PRESIDENT HU 
JINTAO'S STATE VISIT 
 
REF: A. MANILA 1221 
     B. 04 MANILA 5654 
 
Classified By: (U) Political Officer Paul O'Friel 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C)  According to Department of Foreign Affairs China 
Director Maria Theresa Almojuela, the main purpose of Foreign 
Secretary Alberto Romulo,s February 28-March 2 visit to 
 
SIPDIS 
China was to fix the timing for President Hu Jintao,s state 
visit to the Philippines, which is now set for April 26-28. 
Almojuela indicated the Chinese President is unlikely to 
venture outside Manila, but said the program is still fluid. 
Separately, Chinese Deputy Political Counselor James Lim 
confirmed the details of Jintao,s visit are not yet fixed, 
but said it would likely include an address to a joint 
session of Congress, as well as meetings with President 
Arroyo and Vice President De Castro. 
 
2. (C)  Almojuela was quick to dismiss as inaccurate much of 
the Philippine press reporting surrounding Romulo,s trip. 
"70-percent of it is untrue; they got the names and places 
right, but that,s it," she commented.  Almojuela asserted 
Romulo,s statements on the South China Sea had been totally 
distorted.  He did not, she said, say the dispute had been 
"settled."  Rather, Romulo had re-stated the traditional 
Philippine position emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy over 
conflict, and calling for full implementation of the 
Declaration of Conduct of Parties.  (Note: In this context, 
Chinese, Vietnamese, and Philippine national petroleum 
companies signed an agreement on March 14 to include Vietnam 
in a previous bilateral Philippine-Chinese seismic study of 
portions the South China Sea (ref A).  End Note.) 
 
3. (C)  The military agreement Romulo ratified during his 
visit was "nothing new," Almojuela claimed, saying it 
represented only the memorandum of understanding on defense 
cooperation signed by Defense Secretary Cruz during his 
November 2004 China trip (ref B).  In addition to calling for 
annual staff talks and an exchange of experts, the MOU 
included a Chinese offer to provide the GRP $1.2 million in 
non-lethal military assistance, primarily engineering 
equipment. 
 
Visit Embassy Manila,s Classified website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
Ricciardone