UNCLA SIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 ' PTQ3163 RELEASED IN FULL UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3163 PAGE 01 BEIJIN 43895 01 OF 04 2109012 ACTION OES-01 INFO LOG-DO OASY-00 EAP-01 TEDE-00 ADS-OD EPAE-00 ----7E3096 2109012 25 0 2107452 NOV 96 FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7947 INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC AMCONSUL SHANGHAI USEPA WASHDC AMCONSULGUANGZHOU AMCONSULSHENYANG AMCONSUL CHENGDU 002W UNCLAS E FT O SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIJING 043895 DEPT FOR OES A S CLAUSSEN WHITE HOUSE FOR OVP LFUERTH AND OSTP DBEHRING EPA FORA A NITZEAND OIA JYANG SENSITIVE IDECONTROLLEDI NOFORN E O 12958 N A TAGS SENV CH SUBJECT A S EILEEN CLAUSSEN'S MEETING WITH NEPA ADMINISTRATOR XIE ZHENHUA 1 SUMMARY ON OCTOBER 22 OES A S EILEEN B CLAUSSEN MET WITH NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADMINISTRATION UNCLASSIFIED REVIEW AUTHORITY Ian Flanigan Senior Reviewer UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 BEIJIN 43895 01 OF 04 2109012 NEPA CHAIRMAN XIE ZHENHUA THE MEETING WHICH LASTED FOR OVER TWO HOURS WAS VERY FRANK AND CORDIAL AND HIGHLIGHTED A CONVERGENCE OF U S AND CHINESE VIEWS ON MANY ENVIRONMENTAL SUBJECTS XIE SAID CHINA AGREES WITH THE U S FOUR POINT PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE HAS A SIMILAR POSITION ON THE PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT PIC AND AGREED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 4NCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 THAT THE PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS POP NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD NOT BE MIXED WITH PIC NEGOTIATIONS XIE AGREED WITH THE U S VIEW OF UNEP BUT BELIEVED THAT UNEP'S CURRENT CONDITION WAS DRIVEN BY FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS AND WAS NOT THE RESULT OF LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS XIE STATED THAT CHINA WOULD BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT HE WILL VISIT THE UNITED STATES IN THE NEAR FUTURE END SUMMARY CHINA- ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW 2 XIE DESCRIBED SOME OF CHINA'S MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EFFORTS IN THE PAST YEAR THEY HAVE PASSED NEW LAWS ON AIR AND WATER POLLUTION SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND NOISE POLLUTION SCHEDULED FOR ISSUANCE NEXT YEAR WERE TOXIC CHEMICAL AND RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES LAWS BECAUSE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS HAVE BEEN WEAK XIE SAID THAT CHINA IS PLANNING TO RAISE THE CRIMINAL ·PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS XIE REITERATED THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S FIRM BELIEF THAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WAS THE KEY TO FUTURE DEVELOPMENT HE STATED THAT SOME PEOPLE BELIEVED THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 BEIJIN 43895 01 OF 04 210901Z STATE ECONOMY WAS STILL DEVELOPING TOO FAST BUT ADDED THAT CHINA WOULD NOT ALLOW DEVELOPMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT XIE THEN DISCUSSED BRIEFLY THE TRANS CENTURY GREEN ENGINEERING PROJECTS PLAN A PROGRAM OF 1600 ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION PROJECTS IN CHINA'S MOST POLLUTED AREAS AND STRESSED THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS HE ADMITTED THAT MAJOR WORK STILL NEEDED TO BE DONE 3 XIE STATED THAT CHINA INTENDED TO POSITIVELY PARTICIPATE IN ALL GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL DIALOGUE CHINA WOULD FULFILL ALL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL TREATIES INCLUDING THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL BIODIVERSITY CONVENTION AND THE BASEL CONVENTION NOTE WITH REGARD TO BASEL XIE CHARACTERIZED CHINA AS A VICTIM A REFERENCE TO RECENT HIGHLY PUBLICIZED INCIDENTS OF FOREIGN GARBAGE ILLEGALLY ENTERING CHINA CHINA RANKED SECOND IN THE WORLD IN S02 EMISSIONS AND FIRST IN CFC EMISSIONS AS TO BIODIVERSITY XIE SAID THAT CHINA HAS 25 PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S SPECIES XIE POINTED OUT THAT AT A RECENT CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNCLASSlflED U S Department of State Case No F-2012 -40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 U NCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN AND PREMIER LI PENG ALSO STATED THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN SOLVING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CLIMATE CHANGE 4 A S CLAUSSEN RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE KEY COUNTRIES IN THE GLOBAL UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 BEIJIN 43895 01 OF 04 2109012 ENVIRONMENTAL PICTURE IF THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA CAN AGREE ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE THEY COULD MOVE THE WORLD AGREEMENT AT HIGH LEVELS CAN THEN BE CARRIED THROUGH TO NUMEROUS UPCOMING MEETINGS 5 CLAUSSEN COMPLIMENTED CHINA'S ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS AND THEIR AGENDA 21 PROGRAM SHE ADDED THAT EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT BUT THAT COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ARE IMPORTANT ALSO MOVING FROM WORDS TO ACTION WAS DIFFICULT AND WE STILL HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS IN THE NITED STATES CLAUSSEN STATED THAT SHE HOPES CHINA CAN LEARN FROM BOTH OUR SUCCESSES AND OUR MISTAKES 6 CLAUSSEN THEN OUTLINED THE U S FOUR POINT PROPOSAL ON CLIMATE CHANGE--1 DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SHOULD HAVE BINDING TARGETS 2 THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN FLEXIBILITY IN HOW THEY ATTAIN THE TARGETS 3 REDUCING GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE EMISSIONS WAS A LONG TERM OBJECTIVE WE MUST DO UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 l NCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 NNNNPTQ3167 UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3167 PAGE 01 BEIJIN 43895 02 OF 04 210901 Z ACTION OES-01 INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 EAP-01 TEDE-00 ADS-00 EPAE-00 ----7E309D 2109012 25 0 2107452 NOV 96 FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7948 INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC AMCONSUL SHANGHAI USEPA WASHDC AMCONSULGUANGZHOU AMCONSULSHENYANG AMCONSUL CHENGDU 002W UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 02 OF 04 BEIJING 043895 DEPT FOR OES A S CLAUSSEN WHITE HOUSE FOR OVP LFUERTH AND OSTP DBEHRING EPA FOR A A NITZE AND OIA JYANG SENSITIVE NOFORN E O 12958 N A TAGS SENV CH • SUBJECT A S EILEEN CLAUSSEN'S MEETING WITH NEPA ADMINISTRATOR XIE ZHENHUA THE BEST JOB POSSIBLE STARTING NOW TO ACHIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE AND 4 DEVELOPING COUNTRY EMISSIONS WOULD UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 BEIJIN 43895 02 OF 04 2109012 GROW BUT UNLESS THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO CONTROL EMISSIONS THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE SOLVED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 U NCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO CONSENSUS YET ON CLIMATE CHANGE MEASURES NEITHER AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES NOR AMONG DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 7 SBU XIE REPLIED THAT HE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE WITH THE FOUR POINTS HE BELIEVED IN BINDING TARGETS BUT NOT IN BINDING MEASURES XIE ADDED THAT CLIMATE CHANGE WAS A COMPLICATED ISSUE WHICH HAD LED TO MUCH INTERAGENCY DISCUSSION AND ARGUMENT IN CHINA SINCE THEIR WERE MANY AGENCIES INVOLVED THE STATE PLANNING COMMISSION HEADED THE CHINESE DELEGATION TO THE LAST CONFERENCE OF PARTIIES IN BERLIN ALTHOUGH XIE HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN DESIGNATED HEAD OF DELEGATION 8 SBU XIE THEN ADDED THAT HE HAD HEARD SOME COMPLAINTS FROM EU ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS THAT THE U S WAS NOT VERY ACTIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO ADOPT BINDING TARGETS XIE NOTED THAT WE NOW SEEMED WILLING TO ADOPT BINDING TARGETS ADDING THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT IF THE UNITED STATES THE LARGEST CO2 EMITTER IN THE WORLD DID NOT DO SO HE ADDED THAT HE BELIEVED BINDING TARGETS TO 1990 LEVELS WERE ATTAINABLE BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED JOINTLY AIJ 9 CLAUSSEN SAID THAT THE U S ADVOCATED FLEXIBLE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 BEIJIN 43895 02 OF 04 210901Z RESPONSE STRATEGIES SUCH AS ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED JOINTLY XIE AGREED THAT AIJ MAY BE USEFUL BUT IT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED BILATERALLY AND IT NEEDED TO BE TESTED CLAUSSN AGREED XIE NOTED THAT THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WERE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE FINANCING AND TECHNICAL AID TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES E G THE GEF AND AIJ PROGRAMS HE ASKED IF THE CREDITS WOULD GO TO THE DEVELOPING COUNTRY OR THE DEVELOPED COUNTRY CLAUSSEN SAID SHE DID NOT HAVE A FIRM ANSWER BUT WE MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE TO DEVELOP A MECHANISM TO SHARE THE CREDITS THIS·WILL HAVE TO BE NEGOTIATED-- THERE IS NO UNIFORM WORLDWIDE VIEW ON THIS XIE SAID THAT IN HIS OPINION THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SHOULD ACHIEVE THE TARGETS HELP THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND GET THE CREDITS HE ADDED THAT BOTH THE DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES MUST FULFILL THEIR DIFFERING RESPONSIBILITIES XIE SAID HE WANTS TO BE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT AIJ THAT HE LOOKS FORWARD UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 L NCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 TO THE NOVEMBER AIJ WORKSHOP AND THAT HE HOPED AIJ WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER NORTH-SOUTH RELATIONS XIE CAUTIONED HOWEVER THAT AIJ PILOT PROJECTS MAY NOT WORK SO WE NEEDED TO LOOK FOR OTHER ALTERNATIVES 10 SBU XIE SAID HE WOULD REPORT THIS DISCUSSION TO THE STATE COUNCIL AND WOULD TALK TO OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO EXPLAIN U S VIEWS AND CHINA'S AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE HE THEN ADDED THAT SOME DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SUCH AS INDIA MALAYSIA AND BRAZIL BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES WAS ALL TALK AND NO ACTION TO BUTTRESS THIS CLAIM THEY POINTED OUT THAT THE EU SPENDS 1 5 PERCENT OF GDP ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WHILE THE UNITED STATES SPENDS LESS CLAUSSEN SAID THAT BRAZIL IS RELUCTANT TO UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 BEIJIN 43895 02 OF 04 2109012 DO AIJ ONLY IN THE FORESTRY AREA INDIA'S ENVIRONMENTAL MINISTER CHANGES SO OFTEN THAT IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHAT THEIR POSITION WAS AND MALAYSIA WHILE SUSPICIOUS OF OUR MOTIVES AGREED WITH THE NEED FOR AIJ PICAND POPS 11 WANG ZHIJIA NEPA DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION THEN DISCUSSED CHINESE AND U S VIEWS ON PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT AND PERSISTANT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS WANG SAID THAT THE CHINESE AND U S POSITIONS ON PIC WERE VERY CLOSE WE BOTH HAD MOVED FROM THE VOLUNTARY LONDON GUIDELINES TO A MANDATORY REGIME WE MUST BE CAREFUL HOWEVER TO MONITOR WHAT CHEMICALS ARE PLACED ON THE LIST AND WE MUST ENCOURAGE INFORMATION EXCHANGE HE ADDED THAT THE U S AND CHINA AGREE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 _Date 03 03 2015 LJNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 NNNNPTQ3161 UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3161 PAGE 01 BEIJIN 43895 03 OF 04 2109002 ACTION OES-01 INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 EAP-01 TEDE-00 ADS-00 EPAE-00 ----7E308F 2109002 25 0 2107452 NOV 96 FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7949 INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC AMCONSUL SHANGHAI USEPA WASHDC AMCONSULGUANGZHOU AMCONSULSHENYANG AMCONSULCHENGDU 002W UNCLAS E FT O SECTION 03 OF 04 BEIJING 043895 DEPT FOR OES A S CLAUSSEN WHITE HOUSE FOR OVP LFUERTH AND OSTP DBEHRING EPA FOR A A NITZE AND OIA JYANG SENSITIVE NOFORN E O 12958 N A TAGS SENV CH SUBJECT A S EILEEN CLAUSSEN'S MEETING WITH NEPA ADMINISTRATOR XIE ZHENHUA COMPLETELY THAT THE PIC NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE NARROW AND CLEAN IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 PAGE 02 BEIJIN 43895 03 OF 04 2109002 GETTING AN AGREEMENT IN A YEAR WANG ALSO SAID THAT SINCE MOST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WERE CHEMICAL EXPORTERS AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WERE CHEMICAL IMPORTERS PIG WOULD HELP THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT CLAUSSEN SAID THAT THE U S POSITION ON PIG AND POPS IS EXACTLY THE SAME 12 XIE STATED THAT PIG AND POPS SHOULD NOT BE COMBINED AS THIS WOULD MAKE THE WHOLE PROCESS HARDER CLAUSSEN AGREED AND SAID IT WOULD BE BETTER IF UNEP STARTS THE POPS PROCESS LATER EVEN IF IT PROGRESSES IN PARALLEL WITH PIG IT SHOULD BE KEPT SEPARATE UNEP LEADERSHIP 13 CLAUSSEN BRIEFLY OUTLINED U S VIEWS ON WHAT UNEP SHOULD DELIVER FIRST IT MUST HAVE A STRONG SECRETARIAT SO THAT IT CAN MANAGE THE SECRETARIATS OF ALL THE CONVENTIONS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION IT ALSO HAD A POLITICAL ROLE AND SHOULD FACILITATE CONSENSUS BETWEEN COUNTRIES IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT UNEP HAVE A STRONG SCIENTIFIC BODY THAT PEOPLE COULD LOOK TO FOR SOUND SCIENTIFIC ADVICE ORIGINALLY CLAUSSEN SAID UNEP HAD ENOUGH SCIENTISTS BUT THIS WAS NO LONGER TRUE SHE ADDED THAT UNEP'S JOB WAS BIG DIFFICULT AND IMPORTANT IN THE U S VIEW UNEP AT PRESENT COULD NOT FULFILL ITS MANDATE 14 CLAUSSEN SAID UNEP HAS BUDGET PROBLEMS PARTLY THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 BEIJIN 43895 03 OF 04 2109002 FAULT OF THE UNITED STATES WITH MANY COUNTRIES SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING THEIR CONTRIBUTUIONS SHE SAID THE LOWER CONTRIBUTIONS REFLECT A LACK OF DONOR CONFIDENCE IN UNEP'S ABILITY THE UNITED STATES BELIEVES THAT UNEP HAD GOTTEN WEAKER OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS SHE ADDED THAT THE LOCATION OF UNEP HEADQUARTERS IN NAIROBI DOES NOT HELP BUT A CHANGE OF LOCATION IS POLITICALLY IMPOSSIBLE THE U S WANTED A STRONGER ORGANIZATION WITH A DIFFERENT LEADER AND STRONGER CONSTITUENCY TO GET THE JOB DONE 15 XIE REPLIED THAT HE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THE U S POSITION HE SAID EVERY ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITY HOPED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 FOR A STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL VOICE IN THE UNITED NATIONS A STRONGER UNEP WOULD HELP STRENGTHEN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HE BELIEVED THAT UNEP SHOULD STRENGTHEN HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL COORDINATION AMONG COUNTRIES HE SAID THAT IF UNEP CAN FOCUS ON HIGH LEVEL COORDINATION IT WILL BE BETTER THAT THE PRESENT GENERAL TALK THUS WHILE TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS ARE IMPORTANT THEY MUST BE CONSIDERED WITHIN THE POLITICAL FRAMEWORK BOTH XIE AND CLAUSSEN HAD SUGGESTED THAT DOWDSWELL CALL TOGETHER KEY ENVIRONMENTAL MINISTERS BUT THIS WAS NOT DONE 16 XIE ADDED THAT THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES AT UNEP WERE NOT GREEN ENOUGH THAT UNEP DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SCIENTISTS AND THAT THE BUDGET WAS INADEQUATE TO QUOTE AN OLD CHINESE PROVERB XIE SAID A CLEVER WIFE CAN NOT COOK WITHOUT RICE XIE SAID THE BUDGET ISSUE WAS CAUSING A DOWNWARD SPIRAL -- NO MONEY LESS PRODUCTION LESS SATISFACTION THEREFORE STILL LESS MONEY HE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 BEIJIN 43895 03 OF 04 210900Z BELIEVED THAT IF ALL COUNTRIES MET THEIR REQUIRED DONATION UNEP WOULD BE STRONGER 17 SBU AS TO A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AT UNEP XIE SAID THAT THERE IS NO STRONG PERSON TO TAKE D0WDSWELL'S PLACE HE SAID THAT IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT CAN RUN UNEP AND THEY HAVE MONEY THE ORGANIZATION WILL BE OK · XIE THEN ASKED CLAUSSEN IF SHE WOULD BE A CANDIDATE FOR UNEP HEAD CLAUSSEN REPLIED THAT AT PRESENT THERE WERE ONLY THREE CANDIDATES FROM BRAZIL PAKISTAN AND INDIA SHE ADDED THAT NONE OF THEM ARE PERFECT BUT THE BRAZILIAN IS THE BEST OF THE THREE 18 XIE AND CLAUSSSEN BRIEFLY MENTIONED THE NEED TO PUSH APEC INITIATIVES ICLUDING CLEAN PRODUCTION CLEAN OCEANS SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND LAND-BASED SOURCES OF MARINE POLLUTION XIE CLOSED BY SAYING THAT HE WANTED TO CONTINUE THE BILATERAL DIALOGUE AND HOPED TO VISIT THE UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 l NCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 UNCLASSIFIED NNNNPTQ3168 UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3168 PAGE 01 BEIJIN 43895 04 OF 04 2109022 ACTION OES-01 INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 EAP-01 TEDE-00 ADS-00 EPAE-00 ----7E30AF 2109022 25 0 2107452 NOV 96 FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7950 INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC AMCONSUL SHANGHAI USEPA WASHDC AMCONSULGUANGZHOU AMCONSULSHENYANG AMCONSUL CHENGDU 002W UNCLAS E FT O SECTION 04 OF 04 BEIJING 043895 DEPT FOR OES A S CLAUSSEN WHITE HOUSE FOR OVP LFUERTH AND OSTP DBEHRING EPA FORA A NITZEAND OIA JYANG SENSITIVE NOFORN E O 12958 NIA TAGS SENV CH SUBJECT A S EILEEN CLAUSSEN'S MEETING WITH NEPA ADMINISTRATOR XIE ZHENHUA UNITED STATES AFTER THE ELECTIONS UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 BEIJIN 43895 04 OF 04 2109022 19 SBU EMBASSY COMMENT THE MEETING HIGHLIGHTED A REMARKABLE CONVERGENCE OF VIEWS ON ALMOST ALL TOPICS DISCUSSED XIE ZHENHUA WHO WAS AT FIRST AND SOMETIMES STILL IS DISMISSED AS A POLITICAL HACK WITH NO TECHNICAL ABILITY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD DISPLAYED A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES HE ARTICULATED SOPHISTICATED VIEWS ON MAJOR ISSUES AND GAVE A CLEAR IMPRESSION THAT NEPA KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO HE IS LABORING IN A TOUGH MULTl-AGENCY ENVIRONMENT HOWEVER IN WHICH NEPA DOES NOT HAVE MUCH CLOUT AND IN A COUNTRY VI-IERE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES ARE SEVERE ONE INDICATION OF HIGH LEVEL CHINESE INTEREST IN THE ENVIRONMENT WOULD BE ELEVATION OF NEPA TO MINISTRY STATUS NEPA IS HOPING TO ACHIEVE THIS AT THE NEXT MEETING OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS IN MARCH END COMMENT SASSER UNCLASSIFIED NNNN UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2012-40055 Doc No C05509667 Date 03 03 2015