Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan yesterday refuted reports that
the Chinese mainland has blocked Taiwan's efforts to get an early
lifting of its SARS travel warning from the World Health
Organization (WHO).
"Such reports are groundless, irresponsible and so much as having
ulterior motives and making mischief," Kong told a regular press
briefing.
"We sincerely hope that the WHO lifts its warning against travel to
Taiwan as soon as possible according to its progress in controlling
the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)," he said.
Kong said the mainland has always been very concerned with the
health of the people in Taiwan Province and supported their efforts
to wipe out the threat of SARS as soon as possible.
Vice-Premier Wu Yi comprehensively introduced the efforts of the
central government in helping Taiwan fight SARS to the general
debate of the 56th World Health Assembly last month.
"The help has included providing medicines and financial support
and sharing of experiences and technical knowledge," Kong said.
He
added that experts in the mainland, including Zhong Nanshan,
director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, who
was among the first group of experts to treat SARS patients, have
fully shared their experience in fighting SARS at video-seminars
with their Taiwan colleagues.
Turning to the nuclear issue in the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK), Kong said China hopes dialogue will continue.
"We firmly uphold that the Korean Peninsula is free from nuclear
weapons and it should be peaceful and stable," Kong said in
response to reports that the DPRK said on Monday that it wanted
nuclear weapons to cut conventional forces and divert funds into
the economy.
"We hope both sides will not take any action that might escalate
the situation under current circumstances," he said.
Noting that the Beijing talks had achieved positive results, Kong
said the international community should make a joint effort to
continue the process.
"China is open and flexible towards the form of the dialogue," he
added.
About the present situation in Myanmar, Kong said, China believes
the people of Myanmar are able to handle their own affairs well,
maintain stability and enhance economic growth.
Myanmar is a good neighbor of China and the two countries have
always maintained friendly ties, he said.
"The Chinese side believes that what happened in Myanmar lately is
an issue between the Myanmar government and its opposition
parties," he said. "We believe the people of Myanmar are able to
handle their own affairs well."
Referring to a military coup in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott,
Kong said, China sincerely hopes that stability will be resumed in
Mauritania as soon as possible.
The Mauritanian president has announced on television that the coup
attempt had been crushed, and domestic stability was gradually
being resumed, said Kong.
He
said as a friend of Mauritania, China sincerely hoped that the
country would resume stability as soon as possible so that its
people could enjoy their life and develop their own nation.
The foreign ministry spokesman also announced that President Azali
Assoumani of the Union of Comoros will visit China from June 18 to
23. He is invited by Chinese President Hu Jintao.
(China.org.cn June 11, 2003)