Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing Saturday afternoon
addressed a wide range of issues when meeting some 500 journalists
from home and abroad. The senior diplomat gave the press conference
on the sideline of the on-going annual session of the Chinese
legislature, the National People’s Congress, in Beijing.
China, US have expanded cooperation in both
width and depth
Li, who served as Chinese Ambassador to the United States in
Washington from 1998-2001, said no matter where he is, he is always
a firm supporter of the friendly relations between China and the
United States.
The development of healthy, stable and cooperative relations
between China and the United States conforms to the common
interests of the two countries and benefits global peace and
development, he said.
"As time passes, the common interests between China and the
United States - the biggest developing country and the biggest
developed country - are actually on the increase rather than on the
decrease," he said.
He said China and the United States have expanded their
cooperation in both width and depth.
After the September 11 incident in the United States, China and
the United States have stepped up their cooperation against
terrorism and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, Li said.
The economic and trade exchanges have also grown markedly, he
noted. the United States is one of China's biggest trading partners
and more than 40,000 US firms are operating in China.
The exchanges in the cultural sector are also increasing. There
are 60,000 Chinese students studying in the United States and about
4,000 US students are studying in China, Li said, adding that the
Chinese language has become the third largest language in the
United States.
"It is unimaginable that there are no difference between the two
big countries," the foreign minister said. "If all countries in the
world look completely the same, how boring it would be."
Li said the biggest difference between China and the United
States lies in the Taiwan issue. "But there is an agreement between
China and the United States, that is, the United States recognizes
that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an
inseparable part of China."
"As long as the two sides abide by the principles embodied in
the three Sino-US Joint Communiques, the China-US relations would
go forward healthily," he said.
Li said China attaches much importance and gives a high
appraisal to the remarks made by US President Gorge W. Bush on
Dec.9 last year, which were also expressed clearly by President
Bush during his two meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
On Sino-Japanese relations
Talking on Sino-Japanese relations, Li Zhaoxing said that
Japanese leader's continuing visits to the notorious Yasukuni
Shrine hurt the feelings of Chinese people, and stand in the way of
normal Sino-Japanese relations.
He said the mainstream of Sino-Japanese relationship is good and
there has been good progress in the communication and cooperation
in all fields between the two countries.
The bilateral trade volume reached US$133.5 billion last year,
he said. And the number of visitors exchanged reached 3 million.
The two countries have also enhanced their coordination and
cooperation in both regional and international affairs, the foreign
minister noted, citing the most recent instance of the
participation in the second round of six-party talks held in
Beijing.
In the fight against SARS (the Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome) last year, China got the biggest material assistance from
the Japanese government and people, Li added.
"But the most prominent issue in the bilateral relations, he
said, is that the Japanese leaders insist on visiting the shrine
that houses 14 Class-A World War II criminals and that has deeply
hurt the feelings of the people of China and other Asian
countries", Li pointed out.
He expressed the hope that Japanese leaders should show
sincerity and do not be burdened down by historical issues. "The
Japanese leaders should take history as a mirror and draw on
lessons from history, and make up their minds to live in peace with
other countries and treat each other as equals," he said.
He asked a Japanese correspondent to go back home and ask the
Japanese leadership why it cannot do what some European countries
can.
‘Hong Kong is China's Hong
Kong’
Li Zhaoxing criticized some Hong Kong individuals' attempts to
invite foreign interference into China's internal affairs regarding
Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong and China has the resolve,
capability and wisdom to maintain stability and prosperity in Hong
Kong," Li told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual
session of the national legislature.
The minister made the remarks when asked to comment on Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region Legislative Council member Martin Lee
and two others planning to give evidence to a US Senate hearing on
the issue of democracy of Hong Kong.
Li said China does not welcome or need any foreign interference
in the issue, and it is useless for some specific persons to beg
for foreign interference into the Hong Kong affairs.
On ‘illegal border crossers' and DPRK nuke
issue
In response to a question raised by a correspondent from the
Republic of Korea?Li?refuted reports of the existence of
refugees from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in
China, saying these people are "illegal border crossers."
Li said, "These people you refer to are not refugees, but
illegal border crossers."
China and the DPRK share a common border of some 1,300 km, and
it is nothing strange to see some illegal border crossing between
the two countries, said the minister.
The Chinese government can handle the issue well in accordance
with domestic laws, international laws and the humanitarian
principles, he added.
The minister said that China's method for handling the DPRK
"illegal border crossers" has been highly praised by the
international community.
He went on to accuse a few people of attempting to "politicize
the issue" by confusing the concepts of "refugees" and "illegal
border crossers" and even inciting those people to create political
incidents such as forcing their way into foreign diplomatic
institutions.
Asked about the China-ROK relations, Li said that specific
matters concerning a proposed visit to the ROK by Chinese President
Hu Jintao were under discussion between the two sides through
diplomatic channels.
However, he disclosed next week he will extend an invitation to
his ROK?counterpart Yoon Young-kwan to visit China.
He went on to say that economic, trade and cultural links
between China and the ROK are developing rapidly these years, while
the two countries are carrying out good cooperation.
Moreover, Li also said?China has little information about
the alleged uranium enrichment program of the DPRK.
"We don't have as much information as you do about the alleged
DPRK uranium program," Li told a Reuters reporter when asked to
confirm the allegations.
"(Even) if your information is supported by evidence, that will
have nothing to do with China," the minister added.
China has always advocated a nuclear-weapon-free Korean
Peninsula, Li said, "We don't wish to see a Korean Peninsula with
nuclear weapons, we wish to see a Korean Peninsula that is
peaceful, stable and prosperous."
The role China plays in helping resolve the nuclear issue of the
Korean Peninsula is "to promote peace talks and to make peace",
said the minister.
He also expressed the hopes that all sides concerned in the
six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue could play a
constructive role in having a peaceful solution to the issue
through dialogue.
Unilateralism denounced
During the press conference, Li?also denounced
unilateralism, saying?that multilateralism is an effective way
to deal with common challenges for humanity, while unilateralism
proves to be not popular.
"China supports multilateralism and is committed to multilateral
cooperation," Li told a press conference on the sidelines of the
annual session of the national legislature, the National People’s
Congress.
Multilateralism is consistent with the spirit and purposes of
the United Nations Charter.
"The reason the United Nations was founded and UN Charter was
written is that the future matters in the world can not be dictated
by one single country or a group of countries," he said.
The matters should be discussed by countries across the world,
particularly by members of the United Nations, to find a solution,
which is what the United Nations is all about, he added.
Li said multilateralism is an important means to resolve
international disputes, and it is forceful promotion and guarantee
for the benign development of globalization.
"It is also the best way to promote a democratic and law-based
international relationship."
In the area of peace, China, India, Myanmar and other Asian
countries put forward the Five-Principle of Peaceful Co-existence
in their bids to promote peace in 1950s, which Li described as an
outstanding contribution by Asian countries and Asian culture to
the development of international relations in the right
direction.
In the area of development, he said, China is the first country
to formulate a country action plan on sustainable
development.
Sino-Russia summit this year
Li?announced?at the press conference that?Chinese
and Russian presidents will hold a summit in Beijing in the latter
half of this year.
Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress, and Premier Wen Jiabao will also pay official
visits to Russia this year, Li?added.
China's Premier Wen Jiabao has sent a message to congratulate
Mikhail Fradkov on his nomination as Russia's new prime
minister.
During a meeting of the two presidents, the year 2004 was made
the Year of Friendship between Young Peoples of Two Countries, Li
said, adding that it will breathe new vitality into Sino-Russian
relations.
The minister said it is a correct choice for the two nations to
develop good relations from generation to generation and never
become enemies to each other. He spoke highly of China's strategic
partnership of cooperation with Russia.
China and Russia are the largest neighbors in the world and
share a 4,300 km-long border. Over the past few years, the two
countries have signed a series of agreements to strengthen friendly
relations.
Confidence expressed in diplomacy
Commenting on?Premier Wen Jiabao's confidence expressed in
his government work report in China's diplomacy, the foreign
minister said Wen's confidence is well grounded.
"We have won more understanding, trust, respect and support from
the international community, and we enjoy higher status and greater
influence in the international arena than ever before," Li quoted
Wen as reporting to the lawmakers Friday.
Li said the China's diplomatic work is for all Chinese people
and wins the support of the whole people.
With China's peaceful development, the Chinese people have
become increasingly rich, which represents the greatest
contribution to human progress, Li said.
Being engaged in diplomatic work is to provide services, Li
said, adding that the services are targeted first at the China's
lofty goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way and
striving to create a good international and regional environment
for China's economic construction.
"Another purpose is to make friends. The more the better," Li
said.
Last year, China received 18 heads of state, 22 heads of
government and 31 foreign ministers, and top Chinese leaders
including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao visited 22
nations, covering a total of distance of 166,000 km, Li said.
China's friendship with neighboring countries was brought into a
new height and China's relations with big countries and developing
countries were further expanded in the past year.
He said China has joined 135 international inter-governmental
agencies and Chinese diplomats have been active in the
international affairs, including the Iraq issue and the Korean
nuclear issue.
(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2003)