China urged the Dalai clique to drop attempts toward "Tibetan
independence", Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said on
Tuesday at a regular press conference.
"No matter what visage the Dalai clique appears in, no matter
what they say, their nature is not to recognize Tibet as part of China, it is to sever Tibet
from China." Qin was responding to press questions about a newly
released report on Tibet's development and environment by the Dalai
clique.
Qin said the report, which disregarded the truth, was hardly
worth comment.
"The Dalai clique is always talking about Tibetan culture and
the environment being ruined, but in fact, the Tibetan society,
economy and culture have prospered, and the Tibetan people are
happier with each passing day," he said.
"The only thing destroyed was the cruel and dark serfdom rule,
which the Dalai clique wanted to restore," he added.
Qin said that the Dalai clique should discern the situation,
renounce attempts at "Tibetan independence" with concrete actions,
and stop any form of secessionist activities.
Japanese accusation of censoring economic dialogue document
not true
Qin denied Japanese media reports saying China unilaterally
censored a document from the first China-Japan high-level economic
dialogue.
China and Japan issued press communique respectively after the
dialogue held on Dec. 1. Both sides and the international society
spoke highly of the results of the dialogue, Qin said.
"But some Japanese media suddenly released reports saying 'China
unilaterally censored the joint document of the dialogue', which
are out of tune with the atmosphere of friendly cooperation between
the two countries and they are not in line with the fact," said
Qin.
He said the press communique is not a joint document or joint
statement, but only a document briefing the dialogue issued by the
two sides respectively, so it is natural that there is something
different in respective communiques of the two sides.
As for the issues of RMB exchange rate and energy raised by the
Japanese side, Qin said China's stance on such issues has been
repeatedly stated either in the speech by Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan, or in the speeches of other
ministers.
The China-Japan high-level economic dialogue is a key result of
the development of the strategic and mutually beneficial ties
between the two countries, Qin said.
"We hope both sides could cherish the hard-earned result, and
the Japanese media could treat the matter in an objective and calm
way," Qin said.
China pays attention to so-called protest in Vietnam
China paid close attention to the recent so-called protest in
Vietnam targeting China, said Qin.
"We hope the Vietnamese government takes a responsible attitude
and effective measures to stop it and avoid bilateral ties from
being hurt," said Qin.
Qin made the remarks when commenting on the report on the
so-called protest on Sunday in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City targeting
China.
He said China had indisputable sovereignty over the South China
Sea and adjacent waters, and this was China's consistent
stance.
He also added that China was clear about this situation.
The leaders of the two countries had exchanged views on this
issue several times and agreed to settle the dispute through
dialogue and consultation to safeguard the stability of the South
China Sea and Sino-Vietnamese relations, he said.
China welcomes joint strategy for new partnership between EU,
Africa
China welcomed the landmark joint strategy for a new partnership
between the European Union (EU) and Africa, Qin said.
The joint strategy was adopted at the just-concluded EU-Africa
summit in Lisbon, which aimed to "take the EU-Africa relationship
to a new, strategic level with a strengthened political partnership
and enhanced cooperation at all levels."
Qin said that China hoped the new partnership could facilitate
stronger EU-Africa cooperation, help to achieve peace, stability
and rejuvenation in Africa and create more opportunities for
development on the continent.
China shares the common concerns and interests of the
international community, including the EU, in the development and
peace of Africa, he said. China is willing to work with the world
community to make its due contribution for achieving these goals,
he added.
The Lisbon Summit was the second of its type. The inaugural
meeting was held in Cairo, Egypt, in 2000. No meetings have been
held in the interim because several African countries rejected a
summit that excluded Zimbabwe.
China 'values' US opposition to Taiwan referendum over
UN
China values the United States' reiterated opposition to
Taiwan's referendum on UN membership, Qin said.
Qin said Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian stubbornly intensified his
secessionist activities including a proposed referendum on UN
membership, in defiance of the one-China principle recognized by
the international community and by both sides of the Taiwan
Straits.
The referendum is planned for March next year.
These activities will seriously threaten peace and stability
across the Straits and are likely to be firmly opposed by the world
community, Qin said.
Under current situation, Qin said, effectively preventing the
referendum will help maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan
Straits and serve the common interests of the international
community including both China and the United States.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas J. Christensen
recently expressed U.S. concern over the matter to the Taiwan
authorities.
Christensen said the United States opposes the referendum and
believes it showed the Taiwan authorities' intention to change the
status quo.
Chief nuclear envoy to visit DPRK next week
Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei would visit the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) next week to discuss the nuclear
issue on the Korean Peninsula.
Wu, top negotiator of the Chinese delegation to the six-party
talks, would meet with his DPRK counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, Qin
announced.
Also on Tuesday, a meeting of the working group on economic and
energy cooperation, one of the five working groups under the
framework of the six-party talks, was held in Beijing.
The two-day meeting was led by the Republic of Korea, Qin said,
adding that the main topic was to discuss relevant issues of
economic and energy assistance to the DPRK.
Qin said he hoped the six parties could have a full exchange of
views at the meeting.
Qin also urged the parties concerned to take advantage of the
current positive momentum of the nuclear talks, express their own
concerns and respect others' reasonable concerns as well, so as to
promote mutual trust and produce a positive outcome from the
negotiations.
The six-party talks include China, the DPRK, the
United State, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan.
China welcomes Japanese PM's early visit
China welcomes a visit of the country by Japanese Prime Minister
Yasuo Fukuda at the time that is convenient to both sides.
Qin said Fukuda had told Premier Wen Jiabao in Singapore last month that he
hoped to visit the country at an early date, possibly within this
year or at the beginning of next year.
The two sides are in close contacts on specific arrangement for
his China trip, Qin added.
Russia's presidential election
Russia's presidential election is its internal affairs and China
believes the election will proceed smoothly, Qin said.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Mdevedev was on
Monday nominated by major parties in parliament as a candidate for
next March's presidential election, with a nod and "full support"
from President Vladimir Putin.
"Mdevedev is a good friend of the Chinese people," Qin said.
"He made tremendous efforts in pushing forward the China-Russia
strategic partnership of cooperation and worked for the successful
holding of national theme years in the two countries, and we highly
appreciate it," Qin said.
Special envoy to meet Pakistani President
Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to meet with
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and leaders of the caretaker
government on a visit to the country from Dec. 11, Qin said.
China and Pakistan have been traditionally friendly neighbors,
and the two sides have maintained close contacts and cooperation,
Qin said.
Wang, also a special envoy of the Chinese government, will
exchange views with Pakistani leaders on bilateral relations and
the situation in Pakistan, Qin said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2007)
