China is dissatisfied with and regrets the defiant words recently made by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said in Beijing Tuesday.

According to reports, Koizumi pledged in a TV program last Friday that he would continue to visit the Yasukuni Shrine and said it was ridiculous that he could not visit China because of his visit to the Shrine.

Asked to comment on Koizumi's words, Zhang said that since the Yasukuni Shrine honored war criminals whose hands were covered with the blood of people of China and other Asian countries, China firmly opposed visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders.

"A proper attitude toward history constituted the political basis of Sino-Japanese relations and was an important condition for Japan to be trusted by Asia and the international community," Zhang said.

The Chinese government hoped the Japanese leaders would keep the promise to reflect on history and avoid activities that would cause offense in countries that were victims of Japan's wartime aggression, Zhang said.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A war criminals from World War II along with the 2.47 million Japanese dead in wars since the mid-19th century.

Koizumi has visited the Shrine every year since he assumed office as Japanese prime minister in 2001. 

Also on Tuesday, Zhang made clear China's positive attitudes towards strengthening economic and trade cooperation and establishing free trade area with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC).

An important GCC delegation, consisting of six ministers of the GCC member states and GCC secretary-general, was on their four-day visit to China started from Sunday at the invitation of the Chinese government.

According to Zhang, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan held talks with the delegation, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the visiting Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah jointly met the delegation in Beijing Tuesday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing held political consultations Sunday with the GCC Secretary-General Abdul-rahman Al-attiyah and exchanged views with him on international issues of common concern. The other six ministers of the GCC member states also made in-depth consultations with relevant Chinese officials.

Zhang said the current visit of the GCC delegation will further strengthen the bilateral exchanges and cooperation between China and the GCC.

The GCC was founded in 1981 with six member states including Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. The bilateral trade volume between China and the GCC reached US$16.9 billion in 2003, and the six GCC member states have become important trading partners of China in western Asia and in the Asian and African region.

China and the GCC have enjoyed good relations in recent years, Zhang said, adding that every Chinese foreign minister has maintained contacts since 1990 with the foreign ministers of the GCC member states and the GCC secretary-general through attending the United Nations General Assembly every year.

China established political and economic consultation mechanism with the GCC in 1996, and the two sides have held such consultations for many times, Zhang said.

Turning to the upcoming visit by Dr Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Adviser to President George W. Bush, from July 8 to 9, Zhang said Rice and Chinese officials are expected to discuss a long list of topics related to the Sino-US relations and international affairs of common concern. But she did not release the specific subjects for the upcoming talks.

When asked whether the Taiwan issue would be placed on the table, Zhang confirmed it would, adding the issue is at the core of Sino-US relations and also a most delicate one.

"The smooth development of bilateral relations depends on whether the issue can be handled properly," said Zhang.

"In other words, the US adherence to the one-China policy and the three joint communiqués is the political basis for the healthy development of the two sides' relationship," said Zhang.

She said China expects the United States to continue following the one-China policy and the three Sino-US joint communiqués, and to oppose Taiwan independence.

Zhang also announced that German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will pay an official visit to China from July 14 to 16.

The Sino-African relationship was another highlight at Tuesday's briefing. Zhang said a Chinese delegation headed by Vice Foreign Minister Qiao Zonghuai is to participate in the African summit between July 6 and 8 and State Councillor Chen Zhili will visit three African countries from July 11 to 20.

Qiao will hand in a letter of congratulations from the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the third summit of the African Union that will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, according to Zhang.

She said the three African countries Chen will visit are the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Zimbabwe and the United Republic of Tanzania.

And Chen will also attend the opening ceremony in South Africa of the Voyage of Chinese Culture to Africa that will pass through 11 African countries, said Zhang.

(Sources including China Daily and Xinhua News Agency, July 7, 2004)