Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan said at Tuesday's regular press conference that the first round of strategic dialogue between China and India was successful.

 

Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei and Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran held talks in New Delhi on Monday and reached broad consensus on regional and global issues.

 

Kong said they hold similar views on maintaining international security and stability. He further noted that close communication and consultation will help them increase mutual understanding and maintain regional peace and stability. He voiced expectations that border issues will be solved as soon as possible.

 

Turning to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Kong said China will continue to keep close contact with all involved to ensure the six-party talks resume as soon as possible, which would be advantageous to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia and the rest of the world.

 

Kong said China had no knowledge of the existence of a uranium-enrichment program in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

 

He said the issue should be clarified within the framework of the six-party talks.

 

Kong also said he is not yet able to confirm the identity of the eight people who climbed over the wall of a Japanese school in Beijing on Monday.

 

He said they were reported to be illegal immigrants to China and the Chinese authorities are investigating the case now.

 

He said the Chinese government is strongly opposed to illegal immigrants' unlawful activities, like the intrusion into foreign embassies and schools.

 

Kong said he hoped people involved in the case can closely cooperate with Chinese authorities and turn over the suspects to Chinese police.

 

Kong described the visit by Rowsch Nuri Shaways, Iraqi interim government's deputy president, as "important and conducive to Sino-Iraqi relations." He was here from January 19 to 24 at the invitation of Vice President Zeng Qinghong.

 

According to Kong, Shaways held talks with Chinese leaders to review the two countries' relationship, during which China expressed its willingness to consider greatly reducing Iraq's debts and help with rebuilding work.

 

He listed the three goals China believes the general election on January 30 should fulfill: to safeguard Iraq's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, to promote national reconciliation and produce a universally representative and authoritative government, and to help safeguard the fundamental interests of the Iraqi people.

 

Meanwhile, Kong said that he hoped the eight released hostages will return to China within a day or two. He said they hadn't left Baghdad on Monday due to problems with the flight.

 

Kong also said the UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's visit last Thursday and Friday was positive. He stressed that China made its view clear that the EU should lift the arms embargo, which he said impedes development of their strategic partnership.

 

He said it was good to hear that Straw affirmed the EU's intentions to lift the arms embargo on China in a meeting with US Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice.

 

In addition, he expressed his hope that the EU will recognize China's full market economy status as soon as possible.

 

Kong said China has donated more than 1 billion yuan (about US$122 million) to tsunami-hit countries so far.

 

Of this, more than 700 million yuan (US$85.4 million) was from the government and about 374 million yuan (US$45.6 million) from the general public, said Kong. Half of the donations will reach the tsunami-affected countries by the end of this month, he added.

 

Besides financial aid, China has dispatched medical and rescue teams, said Kong. The State Seismological Bureau has sent 69 people in two teams to Indonesia's Banda Aceh to help treat patients and rebuild hospitals. The Ministry of Health has sent three groups to Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, and a fourth group left Beijing for Banda Aceh on Tuesday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency, CRI.com, China Daily January 26, 2005)