US embassy cable - 96BANDARSERIBEGAWAN290

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000290 
 
 
DEPT. FOR EAP/PIMBS 
SINGAPORE FOR ARMA 
CINCPAC ALSO FOR FPA - AMB. SALMON 
 
E.O.  12958:  4/19/16 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, BX 
SUBJECT:  SULTAN:  BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH THE US "EXCELLENT" 
 
1.  CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR THERESA A. TULL. 
REASON:  1.5(B) AND (D). 
 
2.  SUMMARY:  DURING MY APRIL 16 FAREWELL CALL, 
THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI WAS EFFUSIVE IN EXPRESSING 
HIS SATISFACTION WITH THE "EXCELLENT" STATE OF 
THE US-BRUNEIAN RELATIONSHIP, AND HIGHLY 
COMPLIMENTARY ABOUT WHAT HE PERCEIVES TO BE MY 
ROLE IN CONTRIBUTING TO THIS.  HE NOTED HIS 
PLEASURE AT HIS APEC CONTACTS WITH PRESIDENT 
CLINTON; I SAID I HOPED THAT THE CANCELLED OSAKA 
MEETING COULD BE RESCHEDULED FOR MANILA.  THE 
SULTAN REPEATED HIS APPRECIATION OF THE US 
FORWARD-DEPLOYED PRESENCE IN THE REGION, AND 
INDICATED SOME CONCERN ABOUT RECENT CHINESE 
BEHAVIOR. 
 
3.  I THANKED HIS MAJESTY FOR HIS COOPERATION ON 
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN, AND 
ASKED THAT HE CONSIDER AIDING THE BOSNIAN TRAIN 
AND EQUIP EFFORT.  I ALSO THANKED HIM FOR 
SELECTING THE BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER FOR HIS AIR 
FORCE, AND PUT IN A WORD ON BEHALF OF THE 
HARPOON AND SEA SPARROW MISSILE SYSTEMS BEING 
CONSIDERED FOR BRUNEI'S OFFSHORE PATROL 
VESSELS.  END SUMMARY 
 
4.  I PAID MY FAREWELL CALL ON SULTAN HASSANAL 
BOLKIAH APRIL 16.  THE SULTAN LAUNCHED OUR 
DISCUSSION BY EXPRESSING HIS COMPLETE 
SATISFACTION WITH WHAT HE TERMED THE "VERY 
EXCELLENT" STATE OF THE US-BRUNEIAN BILATERAL 
RELATIONSHIP.  HE SAID THAT THE RELATIONSHIP HAD 
ALWAYS BEEN VERY GOOD, BUT THAT COOPERATION 
BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAD INCREASED 
MARKEDLY, HE THOUGHT, DURING MY TENURE AS 
AMBASSADOR.  HE THANKED ME FOR WHAT HE PERCEIVED 
TO BE MY ROLE IN THIS ACHIEVEMENT. 
 
PRAISE FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON 
---------------------------- 
 
5.  THE SULTAN RECALLED FONDLY HIS PARTICIPATION 
IN THE BLAKE ISLAND APEC LEADERS MEETING, WHERE 
HE HAD FIRST MET PRESIDENT CLINTON.  HE SAID 
THAT HE LIKED VERY MUCH THE PRESIDENT'S WARM, 
INFORMAL MANNER, AND REMEMBERED THAT THE 
PRESIDENT HAD TOLD HIM THAT THE TWO WERE VERY 
NEARLY THE SAME AGE.  HE SAID HE HAD WELCOMED 
SEEING THE PRESIDENT AGAIN AT THE BOGOR APEC 
MEETING. 
 
6.  I TOLD THE SULTAN THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD 
REGRETTED HAVING TO CANCEL HIS PARTICIPATION AT 
THE OSAKA APEC MEETING, AND HIS PLANNED 
BILATERAL MEETING WITH THE SULTAN, FOR WHICH THE 
LATTER HAD RESCHEDULED HIS TRIP TO OSAKA.  THE 
SULTAN SAID THAT HE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD THE 
REASON FOR THE THIS.  I TOLD HIM THAT I HOPED 
THAT THE TWO WOULD BE ALBLE TO RESCHEDULE THE 
BILATERAL FOR THE MANILA APEC MEETING, BUT 
CAUTIONED THAT I COULD NOT BE CERTAIN THAT THLS 
COULD BE ARRANGED. 
 
THE US IS A PROTECTIVE PRESENCE IN THE REGION 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
7.  THE SULTAN REPEATED HIS PREVIOUSLY STATED 
APPRECIATION FOR THE U.S. FORWARD-DEPLOYED 
MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE REGION, WHICH HE SAID 
KEEPS THE REGION STABLE.  HE WELCOMES THE 
PRESENCE OF THE 7TH FLEET IN THE REGION (TWO OF 
WHOSE FRIGATES WILL BE IN BRUNEI APRIL 22-27 FOR 
BILATERAL EXERCISES). 
 
8.  ON CHINA, THE SULTAN SAID THAT THE RECENT 
CHINESE INTIMIDATION OF TAIWAN HAD BEEN A CAUSE 
FOR CONCERN.  HE SAID THAT THE U.S. IS A 
SUPERPOWER, BUT IS WELCOMED AS A HELPFUL 
PRESENCE, IN THE REGION TO PROTECT IT AND 
PROVIDE SECURITY.  CHINA IS SOMETIMES A SOURCE 
OF WORRY TO ITS REGIONAL NEIGHBORS, HE SAID.  HE 
EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE U.S. WOULD PROTECT 
TAIWAN IF NEED BE. 
 
COOPERATION ON INTERNATIONAL ISSUES, BOSNIA 
TRAIN AND EQUIP 
------------------------------------------- 
 
9.  I THANKED THE SULTAN FOR HIS HIGH PRAISE OF 
THE STATUS OF THE U.S. RELATIONSHIP, AND CITED 
BRUNEI'S CONTRIBUTION TO THIS, SUCH AS THE 
CONCLUSION OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON 
DEFENSE COOPERATION, AND BRUNEI'S COOPERATION, 
INCLUDING SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, 
ON INTERNATIONAL ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN.  I 
SAID THAT MY GOVERNMENT WAS MOST APPRECIATIVE OF 
HIS GOVERNMENT'S HELP ON KEDO, AID TO THE 
PALESTINIANS, AND ON BOSNIA.  I WELCOMED 
BRUNEI'S RECENT PLEDGE OF $8 MILLION TO AID 
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT IN BOSNIA.  I THEN NOTED 
THE CONTINUING NEED FOR FUNDS TO LAUNCH THE 
IMPORTANT BOSNIAN TRAIN AND EQUIP PROGRAM.  I 
SAID THAT I WAS AWARE OF HIS GOVERNMENT'S 
RELUCTANCE TO BREAK WITH TRADITION AND PROVIDE 
MILITARY INSTEAD OF HUMANITARIAN AID, BUT 
SUGGESTED THAT THIS UNIQUE SITUATION MIGHT PROVE 
A WORTHWHILE EXCEPTION TO BRUNEI'S POLICY, AND 
ASKED THAT HE CONSIDER A CONTRIBUTION.  HE WAS 
NONCOMMITTAL BUT SAID HE RECOGNIZED THAT THE 
BOSNIAN MUSLIMS NEEDED HELP IN THIS REGARD. 
 
MILITARY SALES EFFORTS 
---------------------- 
 
10.  I THANKED THE SULTAN FOR SELECTING 
SIKORSKY'S BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER FOR HIS AIR 
FORCE.  HE SAID THAT THE BLACKHAWK WAS POWERFUL, 
HE LIKED FLYING HIS, AND HIS AIR FORCE HAD 
WANTED IT.  I THEN MENTIONED THAT TWO U.S. 
MISSILES WERE IN THE RUNNING FOR PLACEMENT, IN 
SEPARATE SYSTEMS, ON BRUNEI'S OFFSHORE PATROL 
VESSELS, THE HARPOON AND THE SEA SPARROW.  IN A 
VERY LOW-KEY FASHION, I EXPRESSED THE BELIEF 
THAT THESE BIDDERS WOULD RECEIVE A FAIR HEARING, 
AND THE HOPE THAT THE SYSTEMS WOULD BE 
SELECTED.  THE SULTAN WAS NONCOMMITTAL, SAYING 
ONLY THAT A COMMITTEE WAS REVIEWING THESE BIDS 
AND HE HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A RECOMMENDATION. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
11.  THE SULTAN WAS OBVIOUSLY SINCERE IN HIS 
SATISFACTION WITH THE STATE OF THE BILATERAL 
RELATIONSHIP, HIS ADMIRATION FOR PRESIDENT 
CLINTON, AND IN HIS CONTINUING APPRECIATION FOR 
THE POSITIVE ROLE THE U.S. MILITARY PLAYS IN THE 
ASIA PACIFIC REGION.  HIS APPRECIATION LIKELY 
HAS BEEN HEIGHTENED BY HIS ACKNOWLEDGED CONCERN 
ABOUT CHINA'S RECENT BEHAVIOR. 
 
12.  CONCERN ABOUT CHINA AND APPRECIATION FOR 
THE U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE REGION ARE 
THEMES WHICH HAVE BEEN REFLECTED IN SEVERAL OF 
MY FAREWELL CALL DISCUSSIONS WITH SENIOR 
OFFICIALS.  THE APRIL 22-27 BILATERAL NAVAL 
EXERCISES HERE WITH TWO FRIGATES OF THE 7TH 
FLEET ARE WELL-TIMED TO PROVIDE WELCOME PHYSICAL 
EVIDENCE OF THE U.S. PRESENCE.  THE BRUNEIANS 
ARE COOPERATING WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN THE WEEK'S 
PROGRAM, NOT ONLY IN THE ACTUAL EXERCISES 
THEMSELVES, BUT IN HOUSING, FEEDING, AND 
TRANSPORTING A SMALL 7TH FLEET BAND WHICH WILL 
PERFORM SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE SHIPS' STAY. 
THIS UNPREDECENTED LEVEL OF COOPERATION MAY HAVE 
BEEN TRIGGERED IN PART BY UNEASE OVER CHINA. 
 
13.  WE SHOULD NOT TAKE BRUNEI'S COOPERATION 
WITH THE U.S. ON INTERNATIONAL ISSUES FOR 
GRANTED.  THE PERSONAL TOUCH IS MOST IMPORTANT, 
AND THE SULTAN'S SENSE OF PERSONAL RAPPORT WITH 
THE PRESIDENT IS GENUINE.  THE DECISION LAST 
YEAR TO SEEK A BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN THE 
PRESIDENT AND THE SULTAN DURING THE APEC 
LEADERS' MEETING, TO THANK HIM FOR THIS 
COOPERATION, WAS A WISE ONE.  I RECOMMEND THAT 
THE BILATERAL MEETING BE RESCHEDULED FOR THE 
PHILIPPINES' APEC MEETINGS.  IT IS NOT ONLY THE 
POLITE THING TO DO, BUT IT COULD PAY DIVIDENDS 
IN TERMS OF FUTURE COOPERATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS 
TO INTERNATIONAL CAUSES SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. 
END COMMENT 
 
 
TULL