President Hu Jintao yesterday reiterated Beijing's firm
opposition to Taiwan "independence", saying secessionist activities
in any form will not be allowed.
"We strive for peaceful unification, but we will never allow
anyone, in any form, to make Taiwan secede from China," he said
when addressing 400 members of the Chinese community, students and
staff of the Chinese embassy in Canberra.
He noted that the Taiwan authorities have stubbornly held to
their secessionist stand and recently engaged in secessionist
activities aimed at "Taiwan independence", pushing forward "a
referendum on UN membership" in an attempt by the island to join
the world body in the name of Taiwan.
"It is the common aspiration of all Chinese, both at home and
abroad, to realize the peaceful reunification of the motherland,"
he said.
"We will show our best sincerity and do our utmost to maintain
peace and stability across the Straits and promote the development
of cross-Straits relations."
Hu gets up close with Australian rural life
The Australian wool-shearing bronze medal winner yesterday said
he hopes the sport would be recognized as an Olympic discipline
because only then he could visit Beijing during the 2008 Games.
Graeme Clugston, who demonstrated his wool shearing skills in
front of President Hu Jintao, said he was greatly honored to meet
the head of the world's most populous state.
He watches everything on and about China that is shown on TV but
has never been to the country, he said.
Despite his expertise in wool shearing, Clugston said he was
really nervous to demonstrate in front of Hu.
"I was nervous again when he shook hands with me and praised me.
I felt privileged," he said after turning a three-year-old merino
sheep with a woolly coat "bald" in four minutes.
Hu reached Bywong Station, about 30 minutes drive from Canberra,
yesterday morning to gain first hand knowledge of Australian rural
life.
He showed great interest and kept asking questions and feeling
the clipped wool after it was sorted and ready to be pressed into a
bale.
The 38-year-old Clugston, engaged in the profession for 20
years, said he understood Hu's visit reflected the importance of
friendly ties between China and Australia.
"China buys about 60 percent of Australian wool and is also the
biggest buyer of Australian clip," he said.
Hu had morning tea with Ian Cusack, owner of Bywong Station, and
his family and tasted some Australian snacks.
During his half an hour chat with the family, Hu said he had
toured a family sheep farm in Australia 21 years ago and was quite
impressed by it.
"I must say it was very comfortable and he is very charming,"
Cusack said after the family had posed for photographs with Hu.
Cusack presented Hu with a navy scarf made of wool, saying China
has provided a big market for Australia's fine wool.
Bywong Station has about 2,800 sheep and 170 cattle heads on the
17-sq km grassland. Since it's suffering the impact of a severe
drought, the 45-year-old owner is pinning hope on China to buy more
wool.
Before his visit to the farm, Hu met with the House of
Representatives Speaker David Hawker and Senate President Alan
Ferguson, and both sides talked highly of the growing bilateral
ties.
When addressing 400 members of the Chinese community, students
and staff of the Chinese embassy in Canberra yesterday, Hu
reiterated China's firm opposition to Taiwan "independence," saying
secessionist activities in any form will not be allowed.
Hu reached Sydney later yesterday from the Australian capital
and had dinner with New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma. Hu is
scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister John Howard today.
(China Daily September 6, 2007)
