Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said on Tuesday China
would never trade its sovereignty or principle when asked whether
China would support sanctions on Iran if the United States stops
selling weapons to Taiwan.
Qin made the remarks at a regular press conference. He said it
is improper to connect China's stance on the Iranian nuclear issue with its opposition to
weapons sales by the US government to Taiwan.
The Taiwan issue relates to China's sovereignty, territory
integrity and reunification, and involves the Chinese people's
feeling and China's core interests, he said, adding China has "very
firm and clear" stance on the issue.
The stance is that "China firmly opposes arms sales by the US
government to Taiwan," the spokesman said. "On the Taiwan issue,
China would never trade its sovereignty and principles for others
at any time," he added.
Qin said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice on Monday, and the two sides exchanged views on
bilateral ties, the Taiwan issue, the Iranian nuclear issue and
other topics of common concern.
During the meeting, Yang reiterated China's stance on the
Iranian nuclear issue, which is to hope for the earlier restart of
talks on the issue and the world community's continuous efforts in
solving the issue peacefully through negotiations, the spokesman
said.
China would go on to play a constructive role in appropriately
solving the Iranian nuclear issue, Qin added.
Yang stressed it is in the common interests of both China and
the US to oppose and prevent Taiwan's proposed referendum on UN
membership and maintain peace and stability across the Straits, Qin
said.
Yang also urged the US government to take practical steps to
fulfill its commitments in the three Joint Communiques, keep its
solemn promise to China on the Taiwan issue, and stop selling
advanced weapons to Taiwan, Qin said.
Yang also urged the US not to send misleading signals to the
Taiwan authorities headed by Chen Shuibian, and to safeguard peace
and stability across the Straits and the overall relationship
between the two countries, he added.
When asked about China's comment on Iran's ballistic missile
launching, the spokesman said China hopes for peace, safety and
stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region, and wishes all
sides concerned would make joint efforts in the process.
China attaches importance to food safety
Qin said China attached great importance to food safety and had
taken effective measures in legislation, administration and media
supervision.
Qin said obvious achievements have been made since China
recently tightened supervising on food safety.
The rate of unqualified products in the export of food from the
European Union (EU) to China stood at 0.84 percent in the first
nine months of this year, while that from China to EU stood only at
0.2 percent, Qin said.
"We would make 100 percent efforts to resolve the 0.2 percent
problem (unqualified food)," Qin added.
Citing Japanese official statistics released last July, Qin
said, 99.42 percent of the food exported from China to Japan were
qualified, which was higher than the US' rate of 98.69 percent in
its exported food to Japan and the EU's rate of 99.38 percent.
Qin admitted that there is certain problems in Chinese food
production, but such problems were very few, and China has taken
responsible attitude in dealing with the problems so as to
continuously raise the qualification rate of food and other
products.
Noting that food safety was a challenge for the international
community, Qin said all countries should join hands to maintain
people's health.
Qin also called on media to make objective, true, just and
responsible reports about Chinese food safety, saying China would
not only enhance product quality, but also protect legitimate
rights and interests of Chinese manufacturers and consumers.
China hopes EU will continue its support on Taiwan
issue
China hopes and believes the EU will continue to support China
on the Taiwan issue, Qin said.
"Taiwan issue was an issue of principle, and currently the
Taiwan authorities had pushed forward the secession activities
including so-called "Referendum for joining the United Nations",
said Qin when answering questions related to the 10th China-EU
summit to be held on Wednesday.
If Taiwan continues conducting secession activities, it would
pose a threat to the development on both sides of the Taiwan Strait
and to the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and the
world at large, he said.
The spokesman said China appreciated the adherence of the EU on
the one-China policy, and hoped the EU, the comprehensive and
strategic partner of China, would continue to support China on the
Taiwan issue.
On the Renminbi exchange rate issue, Qin said, China understood
the EU's concern and would like to promote dialogue with the EU to
safeguard security and stability of the international monetary and
finance market.
He said China would push forward the exchange rate reform and
gradually expand the RMB's convertability in accordance with the
principles of initiative, controllability and progressiveness.
The comparatively stable RMB conforms to the interest of not
only China, but also the region and the world, Qin said.
China to further strengthen cooperation with
Australia
China is willing to move forward the China-Australia all-around
cooperative relations healthily and steadily together with
Australia, Qin said when asked about China's comments on the Labor
Party leader Rudd's victory in the elections.
Qin said China attaches great importance to the China-Australia
relationship, which is based on cooperation and mutual trust.
Its continuous development would benefit the two countries'
common interests as well as regional peace and stability, and help
boost common development and prosperity, he added.
Qin said the Chinese government appreciates the high attention
paid to bilateral ties by the outgoing Australian Prime Minister
John Howard and his government, and their active efforts in
boosting the ties.
China is satisfied with the sound development of the
China-Australia ties in recent years and believes the relations
have a wide prospect, the spokesman said.
By defeating the ruling Coalition headed by Howard, Rudd won an
impressive victory in the general elections on Saturday and would
be Australia's 26th prime minister.
Macedonian President to visit China
President of the Republic of Macedonia Branko Crvenkovski will
visit China from Dec. 4 to 9 at the invitation of President Hu Jintao, Qin announced.
Vietnam protest on navy exercise 'groundless'
Qin on Tuesday refuted Vietnam's protest that Chinese Navy's
exercise in Xisha Islands has infringed upon its sovereignty as
"groundless".
Qin said "Chinese Navy's routine exercise in Xisha Islands has
been its normal activity within China's territorial waters."
China has indisputable sovereignty over Xisha Islands and
adjacent water areas, and "no dispute exists between China and
Vietnam" in this regard, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2007)
