IV-5 Question: As we know, China is declassifying its diplomatic documents group by group. How many diplomatic documents have currently been declassified? Which fields do they concern? Why can some not be declassified now? Can foreigners borrow the declassified documents for reading?
A: We don't have experience declassifying diplomatic documents, so we must be cautious. Since 1999, the year Foreign Ministry established the Division of Declassification and Publication, the first batch of declassified diplomatic documents dated between 1949-1955 were researched and identified, and were opened to the public five year's later on January 16, 2004. The second batch of declassified documents was opened to the public on May 10, 2006, which are records in the years between 1956-1960. The total amount is 25,651 archived documents in 59,345 pages, concerning diplomatic records such as referendums, reports, letters and telegraph messages, conversation records and memorandums. These records mainly show China's stances and principles in bilateral and multilateral diplomatic areas, and China's communications with other countries.
The second batch of declassified documents accounts for 60 percent of the total in that period, and twice of the first batch. Compared with other countries, the proportion of diplomatic document declassification is very high. The reason why the rest of the records in the same period could not be declassified is due to following four normal and worldwide principles: state security cannot be damaged, which concerns archives about national defense and sources of intelligence; the citizens' personal rights cannot be damaged, which refers to records involving personal privacy; China's diplomatic relationship with other countries cannot be damaged; and the requests of the other parties for keeping certain items secret cannot be ignored.
The reading room of Division of Declassification and Publication is on the seventh floor of the South Wing Building of Foreign Ministry. Any citizen who has valid ID card or passport can walk into the ministry and borrow these diplomatic archives for reading. An appointment is required, because the reading room can only offer its services to nine people at a time. Readers can take notes, use laptops, or record. However, photographing on the screen is not allowed because all the files are original. If readers need copies, they can fill out applications to copy files and get copies after this application is accepted.
Diplomatic declassification now is a trend. Opening these files to the public is part of guaranteeing the citizen's right to information, and also is a necessary move for China to get onto international trade and administrate in accordance with the law. By now, China has declassified 35,238 diplomatic records. Hereafter, the Ministry plans to open the declassified files every two years and the next batch of files to be declassified are those from 1961-1965. Moreover, the Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established good communications and cooperation systems with other countries' foreign ministries and governmental research institutes, which will speed the opening of diplomatic files.
(China.org.cn)