POTUS EUROPEAN-BASED MISSILE DEFENSE DECISION DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO CHINA

SECRET S E C R E T BEIJING 002681 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AND EAP/CM AND ISN E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2014 TAGS: PREL, MARR, EZ, CH SUBJECT: POTUS EUROPEAN-BASED MISSILE DEFENSE DECISION DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO CHINA REF: STATE 96519 Classified By: Regional Unit Chief Mark Lambert. Reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). 1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche explaining the President's decision to adapt our Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) architecture in Europe to Zhang Hongliu of MFA's Arms Control and Disarmament Department General Policy Division on September 18. Zhang, speaking unofficially, told PolOff that her superiors were very excited about the possibilities presented for U.S.-China cooperation by the President's renewed emphasis on arms control. Speaking officially, she thanked the U.S. Government for sharing the explanation behind our decision and suggested that her superiors would probably have follow up questions when they meet with U.S. experts in the coming weeks. HUNTSMAN