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Taiwan Authorities Making Dangerous Moves Towards "Taiwan Independence". Taiwan authorities are continuing their "Taiwan independence" platform, and have recently staged a series of "gradual Taiwan independence" activities. Taiwan authorities are continuing their "Taiwan independence" platform, and have recently staged a series of "gradual Taiwan independence" activities. The first of such activities was to change the nameplate of its Information Office in order to eliminate the map of China on the original plate. Next, an official order came into effect which urged all Taiwan institutions stationed outside the island to use the word "Taiwan" instead of "China" in their official name. The English section of a Taiwan non-governmental institution producing annual records has been forced to make such a change, or have its subsidy frozen. At the same time, the Taiwan authorities and the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan alleged to have made amendments to the constitution. Lee Teng-hui has announced a draft document of the so-called Taiwan Basic Law is being drawn up. Some extremists have even begun a campaign which calls for the establishment of the so-called "Republic of Taiwan," and eliminating the word "China" from the names of all the businesses and organisations on the island. This year, the Taiwan authorities will add the word "Taiwan" to tourist passports, which the authorities say is "to distinguish Taiwan residents from others." The decision of the passport change was said at the Taipei Assembly of the Taiwanese Public Affairs Conference to be the "best present" for the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the organization, which strongly advocates "Taiwan independence." Obviously, these alterations are neither for the interest of the Taiwan people, nor a simple administrative decision. They constitute a meaningful political strategy -- a strong movement towards "Taiwan Independence." In fact, it is another intrigue for making "Two Chinas" or "One China, One Taiwan", and another manoeuvre by the Taiwan authorities to isolate Taiwan from the motherland. It is a dangerous step towards "Taiwan Independence." The Taiwan authorities are carrying out premeditated and systematic moves to try to achieve "Taiwan independence". Although the Taiwan leaders said they will not announce the "independence of Taiwan" when they came into power, the facts over the past two years have shown that they are working for the "independence of Taiwan," rather than abandoning it. The media in Taiwan has made it clear. It has said that the Taiwan authorities are taking steps to realise their ambition -- "Taiwan independence", and even a fool knows this. The activities for "gradual independence of Taiwan" have been condemned by the people of all walks of life in Taiwan. The Taiwan media point out that the disguised "Taiwan independence" measures will not only cause cross-straits tensions and conflicts, but also label the Taiwan leaders as "trouble makers" internationally. Any form of "Taiwan independence" is doomed to failure, as Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Chinese government's determination and ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt. **** Taiwan will Open its Service Trade to Chinese Mainland in Two phases. According to the news of January 17 from Taiwan, the Island province "Executive Yuan" has approved a list of 58 business items in detail to be opened for investment from China's mainland. According to the news of January 17 from Taiwan, the Island province "Executive Yuan" has approved a list of 58 business items in detail to be opened for investment from China's mainland. Taiwan will at the initial stage open for indirect investment, and the second stage will see the direct investment opened for the capital from China's mainland to Taiwan. And this is to be followed with the evaluation and planning in future for the capital from China's mainland to invest in Taiwan's securities and bonds market in view of the run of opportunities and conditions. According to the Taiwan media, the detailed list includes the international express delivery on land, minicab-rental for passenger transportation, sales of sports and games and other amusement services, air-transportation, advertisement, hotel business and foodstuff and so on. As to the particular time of opening, it is going to be decided when the "Legislative Yuan" completes the considerations of the "Regulations of the People's Relations Across the Strait" and the "Amendment for Regulations of the Relations with Hong Kong and Macau". This is the first time for Taiwan to open its service trade to China's mainland, said Tsai Ing-wen, chief of the Taiwan "Mainland Affairs Council". In the negotiation for Taiwan's entry into the WTO it didn't make any commitment for opening all its service items and the opening to the capital from the Chinese mainland is also based on this commitment. Taking all its service items into account Taiwan has promised to open a total of 108 items to the WTO member countries and regions. The first batch to be opened to China's mainland comes to 58 items, being over half of the total. And later on, the Taiwan units concerned will make a periodic checkup on them every six months and also accept the application of manufacturers and industrial groups for a non-periodic checkup. In line with the scope of its special service trade as committed by Taiwan at its accession to the WTO, Taiwan will divide its service trade into three categories, pointed out Tsai Ing-wen. The first category includes those to be first opened to the capital from China's mainland after both sides of the strait enter into the WTO, the second being those trades to be considered according to the development of the situation and the third those not to be considered for capital investment from the Chinese mainland. Based on the classification, the Taiwan "Mainland Affairs Council" worked out three principles for the opening. First, the profit-making trades will have the priority to be opened to investment from China's mainland while non-profitable trades like educational service, health service (such as medical and healthcare) are to be planned in accordance with the educational and medical policies. Secondly, the corporate services will enjoy the priority to be opened first while the other service trades as offered in the form of a natural person, such as lawyer, accountant, architect and other professional technicians will be planned in line with the development policy for professional services, the examination policy for special technicians and other rules and regulations for certificates and licenses. Thirdly, the other trades which have the priority to be opened are those that do not constitute monopoly in economy, or incite any sensitiveness in political, social and cultural aspects nor will they cause any instability in its economic development or influence the financial stability in Taiwan. The regulated scope for the capital from China's mainland to be invested in Taiwan includes: first, the direct investment by natural persons, legal persona, economic groups and other institutions from the Chinese mainland to invest in Taiwan; secondly: the indirect investment by natural persons, legal persona and groups or other institutions that are to hold certain proportion (one third for the time being) or some influential companies in foreign lands or any from the third areas to invest in Taiwan. **** Premier Zhu's Visit Promotes Sino-Indian Trust: Vice Foreign Minister. Premier Zhu Rongji Friday concluded his five-day official visit to India and left Bangalore for China. The just-concluded visit to India by Chinese Premier succeeded in promoting greater trust and understanding between China and India, the world's two largest developing nations, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Zhu Rongji Holds Talks with Vajpayee. Premier Zhu Rongji Friday concluded his five-day official visit to India and left Bangalore for China. Senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Karnataka State Government as well as Chinese Ambassador to India Hua Junduo saw him off at the airport. The just-concluded visit to India by Chinese Premier succeeded in promoting greater trust and understanding between China and India, the world's two largest developing nations, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday in Bangalore. Commenting on the five-day visit Wang said the healthy and steady development of relations between China and India are beneficial to Asia and the world as a whole. Friendly ties stressed During his stay here, Zhu Rongji held talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on bilateral relations as well as international and region situation. Both sides agreed that China and India have much more consensus than disagreement, much more common interests than differences. Both sides stressed that any disputes between them will not affect the normal development of bilateral ties and they should resort to friendly consultation to resolve such disputes. Position on India-Pakistan issue repeated On relations between India and Pakistan, Zhu repeated China's position on the issue, noting that as a friendly neighbor of both countries, China sincerely hopes both sides can resolve their disputes through consultation and other peaceful methods. Echoing Zhu's remarks, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said China does not pose any threat to India, nor does India believe that China regards India as a threat. The two countries are neighbors and friends, and both are facing the arduous tasks of boosting economic growth and nation building, which requires peace, stability and cooperation, Vajpayee noted. Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh shared the same view, saying that the existing problems between the two nations should not hinder the development of India-China ties. Five-point proposal on bilateral relations Wang said Premier Zhu made a five-point proposal on the full development of bilateral relations: maintaining high-level exchanges between the two nations and exchanges in all fields, strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in economy and trade, promote exchange and cooperation in science and technology, pushing forward regional economic cooperation and properly handling problems that exist between the two countries. Zhu called for efforts to promote mutual understanding of the two peoples, especially their respective current situations. There could be no lasting and steady cooperation between the two sides without mutual understanding and trust, Wang quoted Zhu as saying. To help achieve those goals, Zhu announced the opening of direct flights between China and India by the end of March. Broad prospects for cooperation Wang also noted that the two countries have reached the consensus that they should learn from each other since both have the largest potential markets in the world and competitive edge in their economies, which are complementary to each other. There are broad prospects for trade and economic cooperation as both countries are in the process of deepening economic restructuring, he said While exchanging views on the issues of the international campaign against terrorism and the developments in the current situation in South Asia, Zhu reiterated China's firm stance on terrorism. China and India agreed to set up a consultation mechanism on the fight against terrorism, Wang said. On the current situation in South Asia, Zhu said China sincerely hopes India and Pakistan, as China's two neighbors, could peacefully resolve their disputes through dialogue and consultation. **** Palestinian Representative Says Help Needed to End Mideast Crisis. It is now quite clear that Palestinians and Israelis cannot put an end to the Middle East crisis on their own, Nemer Hammad, the Palestine National Authority's representative to Rome, said Friday. It is now quite clear that Palestinians and Israel is cannot put an end to the Middle East crisis on their own, Nemer Hammad, the Palestine National Authority's representative to Rome, said Friday. The latest violence "clearly shows" that there are no prospects of resuming peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis unless the U.S., Europe and the international community step in, he said. The current situation is "about to destroy the peace process that was so carefully worked out by both sides in the past," Hammad said. "It's clear at this point that neither Palestinians nor Israelis can end the violence by themselves," he said. According to Hammad, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi's recent appeal for the immediate deployment of international observers is "the best way of putting an end to this dramatic situation." "Left on their own, Palestinians and Israelis will never make it," Hammad said. **** Arafat Expresses Desire to Attend Arab Summit. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed desire to participate in the upcoming Arab League (AL) summit to be held in Beirut in March, the official NNA news agency reported on Friday. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed desire to participate in the upcoming Arab League (AL) summit to be held in Beirut in March, the official NNA news agency reported on Friday. Arafat said in a letter to Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, which was delivered by Palestinian Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nabil Amro on Friday, that the critical situation in the region "needs more external interference and pressure on Israel." Arafat briefed Lahoud on the latest development in the region and called for "urgent Arab operation to face such sensitive situation." He reiterated his committment to peace process, while denying again any linkage of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) with the weapons boat seized two weeks ago by Israel in the Red Sea. Amro told President Lahoud that Palestinians look forward to a vitalized pan-Arab support action that would break the traditional routine. "We have no excessive demands for political and financial support. The Palestinian leadership wants only what is possible for the Arabs to offer, not the impossible," he noted. Israel is currently blockading Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, preventing him from traveling in Palestinian territories or abroad. The Jewish state vowed to keep Arafat confined to Ramallah until the PNA hands over the assassins of Israeli Tourism Minister Rahavam Zeevi to Israeli police. If Arafat shows up at the summit, it will be the first time for him to return to Beirut,his one-time main Middle East power base, since 1982. Arafat was evacuated with 8,000 guerrillas from Beirut in 1982, after Israeli invasion to Lebanon to rout out the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Current Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was then Israeli Defense Minister. **** Palestinians Will Not Renounce Resistance Choice: Minister. A senior Palestinian official said on Friday that the Palestinian people will not renounce the choice of resistance against the Israeli occupation under any circumstances. A senior Palestinian official said on Friday that the Palestinian people will not renounce the choice of resistance against the Israeli occupation under any circumstances. "A failure to achieve peace and restore the rights of the Palestinian people would explode the whole region," Palestinian Minister of Labor Rafiq Natshe said in a statement, quoted by the Cairo-based Voice of Arabs radio. "All world governments and leaders know well that the Palestinian people are facing all forms of terrorism," he said, urging them to take concrete actions to protect the Palestinians. On Friday, at least three Palestinians were killed and 50 others injured in an Israeli reprisal for an earlier Palestinian attack in the northern Israeli city of Hadera, during which six Israelis were killed and 30 others wounded. The deadly Friday marked an upswing of the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli violence, which has left more than 1,100 people dead, most of them Palestinians, since its outbreak in late September 2000. The Palestinian minister also called for the adoption of a mechanism at an Arab summit, due in the Lebanese capital of Beirut in March, to help stop Israel's aggression against the Palestinians. "The coming summit should not use sloganeering languages, but translate resolutions to be adopted into reality," he stressed. **** SCO Best Choice in Fighting Region's Terrorism: Kyrgyz President. Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev on Thursday praised the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a pragmatic regional organization capable of maintaining security and stability in the region it covers. Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev on Thursday praised the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a pragmatic regional organization capable of maintaining security and stability in the region it covers. The SCO is a "pragmatic" body that can ensure peace, security and stability in the region through effective joint efforts against terrorism, separatism and extremism, which pose a real security threat to the region, Akayev said during talks with visiting Chinese State Councilor Ismail Amat. In the long run, countries in the region should rely on themselves in cracking down on the terrorist, separatist and extremist forces, Akayev said, adding that the SCO is the best choice in the endeavor. The SCO was launched in June 2001, grouping China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. President Akayev also reiterated his country's support for China's stand against the "East Turkistan" terrorist forces, which, trained, armed and financed by international terrorist organizations, are responsible for a series of terrorist acts within and outside China. On his part, Amat expressed the hope for closer ties between China and the central Asian country. He said combating terrorism is in the interests of both countries and called for closer cooperation in the effort. Amat is on a tour of Central Asia to attend celebrations in the region's five countries marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations with China. He arrived here Wednesday after paying a three-day visit to Kazakhstan at the head of a Chinese government delegation. He left Beijing on January 13 and the tour will also take him to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In Kazakhstan, which is China's second largest trading partner within the Commonwealth of Independent States, Amat held talks with Kazakh Prime Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev which focused on ways to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation. The two pledged their countries' efforts to enhance cooperation within the framework of the SCO in fighting terrorism. The two sides also agreed to keep contact and continue to exchange views on the situation in Central Asia and on the Afghan issue. **** Pakistan Does Not Want War With India: Musharraf. Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan does not want war with India and does not takes some initiatives also. Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan does not want war with India and does not takes some initiatives also. The remarks were made by Musharraf during an interview with a foreign media early Saturday morning, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. On relations with India, he said, "there has to be a desire from the Indian side for dialogue. I can't say for sure, but since I went to Agra and I met Indian leadership. I met Prime Minister Vajpayee, my reading, which I still hold, is that there is a desire in Prime Minister Vajpayee, I think, on moving forward on dialogue, having a dialogue with Pakistan. And, also addressing all issues, including Kashmir." About his speech of January 12, Musharraf said, at first the Indian response was very guarded, very cautious. "I don't see much of a change in their response to my speech," he added. "But, however, I would like to comment that the comments from their side that they are judging what we are doing, and that I have to show more action after this speech. I don't have to show anything to them, really. I take strong exception to these statements. We are not being judged by them. And I am not doing anything to show them. I am doing something for Pakistan," he said. In response to a question on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, Musharraf said, "he (Osama) had been kidney patient, living on dialysis. I do not know where he is, but possibility is that he is dead." On relations with Afghanistan, Musharraf said, "Pakistan and Afghanistan have to be friendly, because Afghanistan is a land-locked country. It has to interact with Pakistan and we would like to interact with them. We have similar history, geography, religion and culture. This is a temporary phase. And I'm sure reality will dawn on them and we would certainly like to have relations with them. Let me also say that the situation is improving with every passing day." _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
