China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with and opposition
to a US State Department human rights report.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at Tuesday's
regular press conference the irresponsible statements in the report
will not improve Sino-US relations or human rights dialogue between
the two countries.
"China has made extensive progress in the human rights arena in
the past years, economically, politically and socially. Moreover,
the country has included protection of human rights in the
Constitution, creating a legal framework for the well-being of its
people," he said.
Liu noted that China is sparing no effort to improve its human
rights situation in order to build a harmonious society.
China has urged Washington to acknowledge all of the facts and
to stop using the human rights issue to interfere in China's
internal affairs. It also called for Sino-US human rights dialogue
to continue on an equal footing and in a non-confrontational
fashion to narrow differences.?
"We hereby remind the US government to look at problems of human
rights abuses existing domestically, and think about putting its
own house in order," he said.
In response to a report that Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP) plans to submit its first draft constitutional revision
in March, Liu advised Japan to take a prudent approach.
Japan's pacifist constitution, enacted after World War II,
forbids the maintenance of an army and involvement in warfare. But
as a leading economic power in today's world, Japan's ambitions to
play important roles politically and militarily have increased.
The LDP aims to present the constitutional revision for
discussion at the 50th anniversary of its establishment in
November, with the intent to revise the war-renouncing Article
9.
"As Japan's neighbor, China sincerely hopes that Japan
conscientiously learns its lessons and gives due consideration to
the concerns of Asian countries it invaded in World War II. China
hopes that it will be prudent in making any revision concerning
military security," said Liu, noting that Japan's peaceful
development is in the fundamental interest of both the country
itself and the region.
Turning to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Liu said that
China urges all parties concerned to show their sincerity and
flexibility to the resumption of the six-party talks and reiterated
that it is a common aspiration of the participants and the
international community to continue the talks.
He noted that consensus had been reached and substantial results
made in the previous talks. But the talks are now confronted with
difficulties caused by many factors.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said in early
February that it wanted the six-party talks to continue, but it was
compelled to suspend its participation for an indefinite period.
The statement aroused deep concern.
DPRK top leader Kim Jong-il told Wang Jiarui, head of the
International Department of the Communist Party of China, during
his visit in February that the country would return to the
negotiating table if its conditions were met for the next round of
talks.
Liu said Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei will visit the Republic
of Korea (ROK) on Wednesday. He said the two sides have held
several consultations over the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
According to the spokesman, Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing discussed the issue with ROK Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon over the telephone Monday afternoon.
Both agreed to strengthen cooperation with the aim of resuming the
six-party talks as soon as possible.
Turning to Lebanon, Liu said, "China is concerned with the
development of its situation, and hopes it can maintain
stability."
Lebanon's prime minister and cabinet quit yesterday,
highlighting a two-week long crisis that started with the
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a February
14 bombing.
(CRI.com, Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, March 2,
2005)