US embassy cable - 05RANGOON877

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000877 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, BM, CH 
SUBJECT: CHINESE FM LI CALLS ON THE BURMESE GENERALS 
 
REF: BEIJING 12082 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1, (C) Summary:  The SPDC's top generals rolled out the red 
carpet for Chinese FM Li, who made a hastily planned 
overnight visit to Rangoon July 27-28.  A senior GOB official 
told us that FM Li's primary objective was to lobby Burma on 
the G-4 UNSC reform issue.  Chinese diplomats suggested to us 
that the regime's apparent decision to pass on the ASEAN 
chair was not on the agenda.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing made a 24-hour 
visit to Rangoon on July 27-28 and held separate meetings 
with SPDC Chairman Senior General Than Shwe and Prime 
Minister General So Win.  The MFA's DG for Protocol, Thura 
Aung Htet, who participated in the meetings, told the COM on 
July 28 that FM Li had visited primarily to secure Burma's 
support to stop the G-4 UNSC resolution (reftel). 
 
3. (C) The Chinese Embassy DCM, Yu Boren, and political 
counselor, Deng Qinghua, told A/DCM that FM Li's visit was 
originally scheduled to take place at the end of August. 
Explaining that there had not been a visit of a Chinese 
Foreign Minister to Burma in over 12 years, they said that FM 
Li had intended to spend several days in Rangoon and also 
visit Mandalay, Burma's second largest city and home to a 
substantial Chinese presence.  However, "pressing business" 
in Beijing resulted in the hastily planned overnight visit 
this week and cancellation of the August trip. 
 
4. (C) The Chinese diplomats said that FM Li "killed five 
birds with one stone" during his visit, as the meeting with 
Senior General Than Shwe also included the military regime's 
top generals:  SPDC Deputy Chairman Vice-Senior General Maung 
Aye, JCS General Thura Shwe Mann, PM General Soe Win, and 
Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Thein Sein. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
5. (C) Our Chinese interlocutors, who also participated in 
the meetings, would not reveal details of Li's discussions 
with the SPDC, but intimated that the GOB's apparent decision 
to pass on the 2006 ASEAN chair was not on the agenda (Note: 
The GOB has not made a single public reference to the 
decision since the joint communique was issued in Vientiane 
on July 26.  End Note). 
 
Martinez