China is willing to continue its active consultation with Japan on the East China Sea issue, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said at a regular press conference on Tuesday.

 

Jiang made the remarks when asked to comment on whether the issue could be resolved during President Hu Jintao's visit to Japan this spring.

 

She said China hopes to work with Japan in deepening cooperation in various fields and is willing to discuss with the Japanese side on Hu's upcoming visit.

 

"China will maintain the process and momentum of the consultation based on sincerity and active attitude, and try to seek an early settlement of the issue with the improvement of bilateral ties," Jiang said.

 

China and Japan have convened 11 rounds of talks on the East China Sea issue. The two sides had reached four new consensuses on the issue during talks between Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda last month.

 

Outer space arms race

 

China will actively push for the signing of an international legal document on preventing arms race in outer space during the Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Jiang said.

 

The first 2008 session of the United Nations-sponsored Conference on Disarmament was being held in Geneva from Jan. 23. Wang Qun, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, led the Chinese delegation to attend the conference.

 

"China advocates the peaceful utilization of the outer space and opposes weaponization and arms race in the outer space," Jiang said.

 

China has not and will never participate in outer space arms race, she added.

 

UN Security Council reform

 

China said there is no change in its position on the reform of the United Nations Security Council and it supports reasonable and necessary reform of the council.

 

Jiang made the remarks when asked whether there is a change of views on the reform of the council since relevant intergovernmental negotiations on such reform had already been initiated, marking a new stage of the reform.

 

"China supports reasonable and necessary reform of the UN Security Council so as to enhance its authority and efficiency. We have always supported the developing countries in playing a bigger role in the UN and in the Security Council, and advocated the giving of priority to increased representation of developing countries, particularly that of the African countries in the Security Council," Jiang said.

 

The reform would affect the future of the UN and the immediate interests of all member countries so we should follow a principle to get easier things done first and harder ones afterwards, said Jiang.

 

The reform should be started with issues that are easier to resolve and most consensus has been reached on, and carried out through extensive and democratic discussions and taking into account the interests and concerns of various parties, to reach the widest consensus on a plan of the reform, said Jiang.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2008)