China and Japan should resort to dialogue to solve their
differences surrounding the disputed area of the East China Sea,
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan said at Thursday's regular
press conference.
The two countries are scheduled to hold a new round of talks on
the disputed area in the near future, he said.
The talks have become the new focus of attention since
Sino-Japanese relations began to sour because of the Japanese
leader's remarks on his visits to the Yasukuni Shrine.
Kong said that China does not want current differences to hamper
the upcoming talks.
He also criticized Japan for giving oil and gas exploration
rights in the disputed area to Japanese companies.
"We think Japan's practices constitute a provocation to China's
rights and norms of international relations," Kong said. "We have
lodged a protest with Japan and reserve the right to take further
action."
Commenting on the visit of Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Kong
said that the two countries are friendly neighbors and all
countries in the Central Asian region face the challenges of the
"three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism.
He urged all states in the region to strengthen cooperation in
fighting terrorism.
Both China and Uzbekistan are members of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO),
which also includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan.
Kong said Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing would attend the SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting due to
be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on June 4. Li will
also attend the informal meeting of foreign ministers from China,
Russia and India, scheduled for June 2 in Vladivostok, Russia.
When asked whether the universal application principle in new
international health regulations will be applied to Taiwan, Kong
said that the principle is not a legal basis for Taiwan's entry
into the World Health Organization (WHO).
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The 58th annual World Health Assembly, held in Geneva on May 23,
announced a new set of regulations on national and international
responses to disease outbreaks. The new regulations contain four
principles, including respecting human rights, respecting the
sovereignty of member states, observing the UN Charter and the WHO
Constitution, and universal application. The four principles are
equally important and interconnected.
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Kong stressed the regulations stipulate that provisions will
only be applied to sovereign member states.
"China is delighted to see new regulations get through and hopes
all parties will strengthen cooperation for their full and
effective implementation," Kong said. He also praised the
regulations for pushing for the establishment of a global health
system, and playing an important role in protecting the lives and
health of people all over the world.
Turning to China-India ties, Kong said that Liang
Guanglie, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation
Army, started his six-day visit to India on Monday.
The exchanges between high-level officers of the two militaries
will be good for increasing mutual trust and understanding, he
said.
Still on the subject of visits, Kong announced that Premier Wen
Jiabao will attend the Greater Mekong Summit, a meeting aimed
at boosting economic cooperation of countries that share borders
along the Mekong River. Wen will preside over the meeting, due to
be held between July 4 and 5 in Kunming, capital of southwest
China's Yunnan
Province.
Heads of state from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and
Vietnam will attend the meeting, Kong said.
The meeting will review the cooperation in the past in the
Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), and outline major steps for
strengthening future cooperation, he said, adding that a
declaration will be adopted and some relevant documents on regional
cooperation will be signed at the meeting.
The GMS, also known as the Lancang-Mekong Subregion, refers to
an area of 2.33 million square km that covers China's Yunnan
Province, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
With a population of 230 million, the area boasts abundant
natural resources and huge growth potential. Yunnan has cooperated
for a long time with its neighbors in the areas of transportation,
energy, agriculture, tourism, trade, investment, environment and
human resources.
The economic cooperation mechanism of the GMS, initiated by the
Asia Development Bank in 1992, attracted six countries, including
China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Since the mechanism was launched, it has mobilized nearly US$3.5
billion for beefing up socio-economic development in the area.
Kong also announced that Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo
will visit from June 2 to 6.
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Toledo's upcoming visit is expected to push forward the mutually
beneficial cooperation between the two countries, Kong said.
During his China tour, Toledo is scheduled to meet with
President Hu
Jintao, Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing
Committee Wu
Bangguo and Premier Wen, Kong said.
In addition to Beijing, Toledo will visit Shanghai, Xi'an,
capital of northwestern Shaanxi
Province, and Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong
Province, he said.
Peru is among the first countries in South America to have
established diplomatic relations with China. China-Peru relations
have witnessed a smooth development over the past 34 years, Kong
said.
The two-way trade between China and Peru in 2004 was valued at
US$1.94 billion, he said.
China and Peru announced that they would form a comprehensive
and cooperative partnership in January 2005. "President Toledo's
visit will definitely step up the bilateral cooperation on such a
new basis," Kong said.?
In related news, Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker will be
in China from May 29 to 31.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2005)