Talks between China and Japan over sea demarcation in the East
China Sea on Monday were constructive, said Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue at a routine news briefing in Beijing
Tuesday.?
The talks in Beijing were meaningful and both sides showed
sincerity and a constructive attitude, Zhang said.
"We hold that a fair solution to the issue should be sought
through negotiations based on the United Nations (UN) Law of the
Sea Convention," Zhang said.
Japan has unilaterally demarcated a controversial exclusive
economic zone along the median line. It holds that the line is
determined by the two countries' coastlines.
However, China holds the line is determined by the continental
shelf on China's side, over which China claims exclusive
rights.
Both China and Japan have a right to claim 200 sea miles of
water according to international law. However, the width of the
East China Sea is less than 400 sea miles and the claims of the two
sides overlapped and raised disputes.
Zhang reiterated that China's oil and gas exploration in the
East China Sea is being carried out in China's indisputable coastal
waters, and it's a matter within the scope of China's
sovereignty.
Refuting a recent article in The Business weekly that
the EU-sponsored Galileo program is for military purpose, the
spokeswoman said China joined the program just for civil navigation
use.
According to Zhang, the Galileo program can expand and develop
cooperation between China and the European Union in science and
technology, trade and transport areas.?
China has always adopted an independent foreign policy of peace,
and the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and EU aims
to promote common development and targets no third party, she
said.
"We hope certain people?will abandon the Cold War
mentality," Zhang said.
Galileo System, with a budget of 3.4 billion euros, is aimed to
build up a worldwide satellite navigation system. Up to now, EU has
signed cooperative agreements with Israel and China and carried out
negotiations for cooperation with a number of other countries,
including Russia, India, Brazil and Australia.
The spokeswoman also said both China and the United States have
agreed to give impetus to a new round of six-party talks on the
Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
She notes that China is wiling to cooperate with other countries
against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and all
forms of terrorism.
Zhang adds that the Security Policy Conference of ASEAN Regional
Forum will be held in Beijing, starting November 4.?
In another issue, Zhang said China will severely punish those
responsible for recent break-ins into diplomatic institutions and
foreign schools in Beijing.
A number of people reportedly attempted to break into the
Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and an ROK school in Beijing
recently.
Zhang said some of those intruders even resorted to violence
during their attempt.
Such activities threaten the safety of both foreign and Chinese
staff. They are a serious breach of China's laws and harm the
country's security and stability, she said.
They also greatly disturb normal operations in the diplomatic
institutions and foreign schools.
She said the break-ins were organized by self-proclaimed foreign
religious and human rights organizations.
The Chinese government will severely punish such "snakeheads,"
she said.
Also at yesterday's briefing, the spokeswoman announced that
Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend the informal economic
leaders' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC),
due to be held in Santiago, capital of Chile, between Nov. 20 and
21.
Hu will also visit some countries before and after the APEC
meeting and the arrangement for these visits "is in the preparatory
phase", Zhang said.
(Sources including China Daily, CRI.com, and Xinhua News
Agency, October 27, 2004)