Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 3373 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden Editorial United States Latin America Egypt

### Browse latest releases

2011/02/01 2011/01/31 2011/01/30 2011/01/29 2011/01/28 2011/01/27 2011/01/26 2011/01/25 2011/01/24 2011/01/23 2011/01/22 2011/01/21 2011/01/20 2011/01/19 2011/01/18 2011/01/17 2011/01/16 2011/01/15 2011/01/14 2011/01/13 2011/01/12 2011/01/11 2011/01/10 2011/01/09 2011/01/07 2011/01/05 2011/01/04 2011/01/02 2011/01/01 2010/12/30 2010/12/29 2010/12/28 2010/12/27 2010/12/26 2010/12/25 2010/12/24 2010/12/23 2010/12/22 2010/12/21 2010/12/20 2010/12/19 2010/12/18 2010/12/17 2010/12/16 2010/12/15 2010/12/14 2010/12/13 2010/12/12 2010/12/11 2010/12/10 2010/12/09 2010/12/08 2010/12/07 2010/12/06 2010/12/05 2010/12/04 2010/12/03 2010/12/02 2010/12/01 2010/11/30 2010/11/29 2010/11/28

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 86 88 89 90 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08
2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10
2002/02 2002/03 2002/11
2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone
Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy La Paz Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AF ASEC AM AE AG AR AS AU AORC AJ AMGT AGMT AFIN APER ABUD ATRN ACOA AEC AO AX AMED ADCO AODE AFFAIRS AC AL ASIG ABLD AA AEMR AFU ASUP
BR BM BRUSSELS BL BK BA BO BILAT BTIO BEXP BH BE BX BU BIDEN BY BG BF BB BC BBSR
COUNTER CH CO CG CE CA CASC CU CLINTON CI CVIS CDG CIA CACM CDB CS CBW CD CV CMGT CJAN CF CN CAN CIS CM CONDOLEEZZA COE CR CY CTM COUNTRY CLEARANCE CPAS CWC CT CKGR CB CACS COUNTERTERRORISM
DA DJ DEAX DR DHS DOE DEA DK DISENGAGEMENT DOD
ECON EG EAID EFIN ELAB EUN ETRD EU EXTERNAL ENRG ETTC EPET EINV EMIN ECIP ECPS EINDETRD EAGR EN EZ ER ET ES EUC EI EAIR EIND EWWT ELTN EREL ECIN EFIS EINT EC ENVR ECA EINVETC ENIV EINN ENGR EUR ELECTIONS ECUN EINVEFIN
FR FJ FINR FAO FTAA FREEDOM FI FARC FBI FMLN
GTMO GOI GM GG GV GH GA GE GT GR GTIP GCC GAZA GZ
HILLARY HA HU HR HUMAN HO HYMPSK HURI
IS IR IZ INRB IAEA IN IT ID IV ICTY IQ ICAO INTERPOL IPR IRAJ INRA INRO IC IIP ITPHUM IWC IO ISRAELI IRAQI ICRC IMO IF ILC IEFIN INTELSAT ITALY ITALIAN
JAMES JO JA JOSEPH JUS
KDEM KJUS KCOR KOLY KIPR KNNP KU KWBG KPAL KN KS KZ KAWK KISL KPAO KCRM KSEC KGHG KIFR KTFN KDRG KV KSUM KWAC KAWC KDEMAF KFIN KTIP KHLS KSPR KGCC KPIN KG KBIO KHIV KSCA KE KFRD KNUC KMDR KPLS KUNR KIRF KIRC KACT KGIC KRAD KCOM KMCA KHDP KVPR KDEV KWMN KTIA KPRP KCIP KCFE KOCI KPKO KTDB KMRS KLIG KBCT KICC KGIT KSTC KPAK KNEI KSEP KPOA KFLU KNUP KNNPMNUC KOMC KO KTER KHUM KRFD KBTR KDDG KWWMN KFLO KSAF KBTS KPRV KMPI KNPP KR KPWR KMIG
LY LE LG LH LU LI LO LOG
MARR MOPS MCAP MNUC MZ MO MASS MY MEPP MA MR ML MX MIL MTCRE MOPPS MTCR MAPP MU MG MASC MCC MK MTRE MP MDC MAR MEPI MRCRE MI MT MQADHAFI MPOS MD
NATO NI NZ NG NU NO NL NIPP NE NS NAR NPT NPG NK NSG NA NT NASA NATIONAL
OTR OVIP OVP OREP ODIP OPDC OPRC OIIP OFFICIALS OSAC OAS OEXC OFDP OTRA OSCE OPIC OECD OPCW OSCI
PREL PGOV PTER PHUM PINR PAK PREF PL PBTS PHSA PARM PO PINS PK PINT PROP PE POGOV PINL POL PBIO PSOE PKFK PGOF PA PM PMIL PTERE PF PALESTINIAN PY PGGV PNR POV PAO PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY POLITICS PEPR PSI PU POLITICAL PARTIES PECON
QA
RS RU RO RW REGION RP RIGHTS RICE ROBERT RF RFE
SP SY SOCI SCUL SNAR SA STEINBERG SENV SF SO SR SG SW SU SL SMIG SN SHUM SZ SYR ST SANC SC SAN SIPRS SI
TIP TERRORISM TI TU TC TRGY TX TS TBIO TW TSPA TH TR TT TO TFIN TD TSPL TZ TPHY TK TNGD
UN US UK UG UNSC UP USEU UNMIK UV UZ UY UNGA UNO USUN UE UNESCO UAE UNEP USTR UNHCR UNDP UNHRC USAID UNCHS
VZ VT VE VTPREL VN VM
WTRO WTO WA WI WMO WTRQ WHO WWARD
XF XA XG XT XM XR XS XL XK XH XY XC XZ XW
YE YM YI
ZI ZU ZP ZR ZB ZK ZF ZANU ZOELLICK

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 06BEIJING23571, PRC CLAIMS HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGERY ON GOOGLE EARTH

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06BEIJING23571.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06BEIJING23571 | 2006-11-07 06:06 | 2010-12-04 17:05 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Beijing

`

    VZCZCXRO1474
    OO RUEHAG RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHROV RUEHVC
    DE RUEHBJ #3571/01 3110648
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 070648Z NOV 06
    FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1848
    INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
    RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
    RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0400
    RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6471
    RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0385
    RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 2017
    RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 023571

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2021
    TAGS: PREL PINR TSPA CH
    SUBJECT: PRC CLAIMS HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGERY ON GOOGLE EARTH
    COULD AID TERRORIST ATTACKS ON CHINA

    Classified By: Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission David S. Sedney.
    Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

    SUMMARY
    -------

    ¶1.  (C) China wants the United States Government to take
    action to get Google to reduce the resolution of the Google
    Earth images of China's military, nuclear, space, energy and
    other sensitive government agency installations in order to
    deprive terrorists of potentially dangerous information, XXXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXXX told
    the DCM on XXXXXXXXXXXX said the Beijing request was
    based on possible "grave consequences" if terrorists exploit
    the information to harm China.  Google Earth is a private
    company, the DCM reminded XXXXXXXXXXXX was noncommittal on
    whether China would directly contact Google or the European
    imagery providers and the other sources of high resolution
    imagery on the Internet.  Other countries have shared similar
    concerns with China, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, but he refused to divulge
    country names. End Summary.

    Google Earth High Resolution Images a Threat to China
    --------------------------------------------- --------

    ¶2.  (C) Google Earth is providing high resolution images of
    sensitive Chinese facilities over the Internet, thereby
    endangering PRC national security, XXXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXXX told
    the DCM during a XXXXXXXXXXXX meeting.  These facilities
    include military installations, nuclear test sites, satellite
    launch sites, oil production facilities, power generating
    plants and important government departments.  The resolution
    is one meter for most of China, and is as fine as 0.6 meters
    in Beijing and Shanghai, allowing anyone with Internet access
    to view these facilities in great detail.  Moreover, Google
    Earth allows users to post information about specific
    locations, XXXXXXXXXXXX continued, which means information about
    important Chinese agencies and sensitive installations is
    effectively being published on the Internet.

    "Grave Consequences" if Terrorists Use Imagery
    ---------------------------------------------

    ¶3.  (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said China is extremely concerned that
    terrorist organizations could access the high resolution
    imagery and posted information and present a grave threat to
    PRC national security.  If terrorists used the imagery from
    Google Earth to cause damage to China, there would be "grave
    consequences," warned XXXXXXXXXXXX.  In the spirit of our sound
    bilateral cooperative relationship, particularly on
    counterterrorism issues, XXXXXXXXXXXX asked that the United States
    place "great importance" on China's concerns, understand the
    sensitivity of the matter and take action so that Google will
    reduce the resolution of the images of China's sensitive
    facilities.

    DCM: Google a Private Company, and Not Imagery Source
    --------------------------------------------- --------

    ¶3. (C) The DCM told XXXXXXXXXXXX that he would report the request
    to Washington, but noted that Google is a private company.
    The DCM said he had no information to offer on what, if any,
    role or response the United States Government might have to
    the Chinese presentation.  The DCM noted that the Chinese
    points only asked for a reduction in the resolution and asked
    if the Chinese sought any specific level.  The DCM also asked
    whether XXXXXXXXXXXX had contacted Google directly and, since
    Google purchases the imagery as any individual or entity can,
    whether China had contacted the satellite imagery providers.

    XXXXXXXXXXXX: Other, Unspecified Countries Have Similar Concerns
    --------------------------------------------- -------------

    ¶4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX responded that China is approaching the United
    States Government because the issue is directly relevant to
    counterterrorism and that while Google is a private company
    it operates in the United States "political and legal
    environment."  China is requesting the United States take
    action to prevent the information from being misused to cause
    damage to China, XXXXXXXXXXXX reiterated.  He offered that China
    had been in discussions with other countries with similar
    concerns about Google Earth.  However, XXXXXXXXXXXX refused to
    provide the names of the other countries, noting he was
    unable to share the information due to prior agreements with

    BEIJING 00023571  002 OF 002

    those countries.

    Europe the Source of Imagery, But Google Earth is the Key
    --------------------------------------------- ------------

    ¶5.  (C) China will talk to Google about the "technical
    details," XXXXXXXXXXXX continued, adding that it is not for the MFA
    to determine the appropriate resolution level.  China knows
    the source data comes from European companies, satellite
    operators and the European space agency but XXXXXXXXXXXX said China
    sees Google as the problem because it makes the information
    easily accessible.  When pressed, XXXXXXXXXXXX admitted that
    Beijing had not yet contacted the European providers or the
    governments associated with the European space program.  XXXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXXX said that while China will look at the other Internet
    sources of the high resolution imagery, Google,s well known
    imagery is of greatest concern.
    Randt

`