Extracts.
Tuesday, October 31, 2000, updated at 09:35(GMT+8)
Israeli Helicopters Target Arafat's Fatah
Israel launched helicopter missile attacks on three
headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's
Fatah faction in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, saying
it would not tolerate a burgeoning guerrilla war.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or
serious damage after what Israeli Army Radio
described as pinpoint attacks on Monday on buildings
that were empty late at night.
``Since the Palestinians are beginning to wage
something that approximates a guerrilla war, our
helicopter attack was a signal that if there is one,
we have the answer to it,'' Deputy Defense Minister
Ephraim Sneh said on television.
A wave of violence that began more than a month ago
with clashes during mass demonstrations by
Palestinians has settled into a pattern of daily
attacks by armed militiamen on Israeli army posts and
settlements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Sneh described the rocketing of Fatah buildings in
the West Bank towns of Nablus and Ramallah, and on
Fatah's elite Force 17 militia in Khan Yunis in the
Gaza Strip, as ``a warning operation.''
Palestinians would ``pay a price'' for Lebanon-style
guerrilla warfare, he said, referring to daily
attacks Israeli occupation forces faced from Lebanese
Hizbollah gunmen before ending a 22-year occupation
of southern Lebanon last May.
Fatah militiamen have been on the front line of
confrontations with Israeli forces in the unrest that
began on September 28. At least 148 people, mainly
Palestinians, have been killed in the violence.
An Israeli security guard was shot dead in Arab East
Jerusalem on Monday by what police said was a
Palestinian gunman. The bodies of two other Israelis
-- one was stabbed and the other shot -- were found
in the West Bank over the weekend.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak, addressing the opening of
parliament's winter session earlier on Monday, said
Israel would not tolerate attacks on its soldiers and
citizens.
``We will do everything to protect (them) and attack
anyone who wants to kill us -- I will say no more,''
he said. After his speech he convened his security
chiefs, apparently to put the helicopter operation
into motion.
Defiant Palestinians Blast ``Israeli Aggression''
The Palestinian leadership reacted with anger and
defiance to the helicopter strikes.
``The Israeli aggression against our people is
escalating in accordance with Barak's plans,'' said
Tayeb Abdel-Rahim, a senior Arafat aide.
``This provocation will only increase our people's
steadfastness and determination to confront these
attackers,'' he said.
In Ramallah, two flashes lit the night sky as the
rockets struck. They punched holes in the facade of
the Fatah headquarters, where water dripped from a
pipe broken by the blast. A photo of Arafat still
hung on the wall.
After the attack, residents gathered in the town's
main square, chanting ``With blood and spirit, we
will redeem you, Palestine.''
The army said the Fatah headquarters it attacked were
used by gunmen who carried out hundreds of shootings.
``Tonight's operation was part of a military
initiative to strike directly at elements responsible
for escalating the violence,'' it said in a
statement.
Army chief of staff Shaul Mofaz said on Sunday the
army should ``move to a level where our operations
are more initiated and less retaliatory.''
****
Tuesday, October 31, 2000, updated at 10:06(GMT+8)
China Puts 1st Navigation Positioning Satellite into
Orbit
China successfully put its first
home-made navigation positioning
satellite, the Beidou Navigation Testing
Satellite, into orbit early Tuesday with
a Long March 3-A rocket.
The carrier rocket blasted off at 0:02
(Beijing time) from the Xichang
Satellite Launching Center in Sichuan
Province, southwest China.
The satellite was developed and built mainly by the
Research Institute of Space Technology under the
China Space Science and Technology Group.
To meet the demand for country's satellite
navigation, China will establish its first generation
of satellite navigation positioning system -- the
Beidou Navigation System, an official said.
It will be an all-weather regional navigation system
that provides satellite-guided information round the
clock for such sectors as highway and railway
transportation and seafaring.
The Beidou Navigation System, once built, will play a
positive role in promoting China's national economic
growth, said the official, adding that today's
successful launching of the satellite has laid a
solid foundation for the establishment of the system.
This is the 63rd flight for China's Long March series
rockets and the 21st consecutive successful launch
for the country's space industry since October 1996.
Cao Gangchuan, a member of the Central Military
Commission and director of the General Armament
Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army,
observed the launching process on site.
****
Senior CPC Official Concludes Four-Nation Trip
Wei Jianxing, member of the Standing Committee of the
Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China (CPC), returned to Beijing
Monday afternoon after he completed his official
good-will visits to Germany, Moldova, Finland and
Mongolia.
During his trip, Wei either held talks or met with
state leaders of the four countries, in which the two
sides exchanged views on enhancing inter-party
exchanges between CPC and political parties in the
countries and strengthening cooperation between China
and the countries in all areas.
Wei, also member of the Secretariat of the CPC
Central Committee, had wide contacts with the people
of the four countries, in particular with laborers
from all walks of life, and he investigated in the
social and economic development in each country.
Wei's entourage, including Dai Bingguo, head of the
International Liaison Department of the CPC Central
Committee, and others, also returned home today.
Wen Jiabao, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC
Central Committee and Chinese vice premier, and other
senior officials greeted Wei and his party at the
Great Hall of the People.
****
Mongolia, China to Continue Friendly Relations
Mongolian President Nachagyn Bagabandy met with Wei Jianxing, a senior
official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Monday in Ulan Bator.
Wei, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC
Central Committee, conveyed Chinese President Jiang Zemin's regards to
Bagabandy.
Wei said that over the past decade, with joint efforts from both sides,
Sino-Mongolian relations have made rapid progress, with fruitful
cooperation in various fields and enhanced mutual trust.
Bagabandy's Chinese trip in 1998 and Jiang's visit to Mongolia in 1999
brought the relations between the two countries into a new stage, and made
clear the orientation for the development of bilateral relations in the
21st century, Wei said.
Friendly relations between China and Mongolia are not only in the
fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also conducive to peace and
development in the region and the world, Wei said.
China will make efforts with Mongolia to abide by the basic principles of
the treaty of relations of friendly cooperation, promote the development of
long-term good-neighborly relations characterized by mutual trust and
forever be good friends and good neighbors, Wei said.
Bagabandy said Mongolia and China have long enjoyed friendly relations and
the exchange of visits by the two countries' leaders in recent years has
advanced such relations to a new stage.
China has become the biggest investor in Mongolia and its biggest trade
partner, he said.
He thanked the Chinese government for respecting the independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Mongolia, and the Mongolian
people's choice for the road of development.
The president also thanked China for supporting Mongolia's proposal to
build a nuclear-free zone in Mongolia.
He said Mongolia will continue to support China's positions on the issues
of Taiwan and Tibet.
Earlier in the day, Wei met with Lhamsurengyn Enebish, chairman of the
Mongolian State Great Hural and general secretary of the Mongolian People's
Revolutionary Party (MPRP).
Wei expressed appreciation for Enebish's contributions to Sino-Mongolian
relations as chairman of the Mongolian-Chinese Friendship Association.
Different social systems of the two countries and ideological differences
between the two parties can not hamper exchanges between the two sides, he
said.
The CPC attaches importance to the relations with the MPRP and is ready to
enhance exchanges and cooperation with the MPRP on the basis of the four
principles for party-to-party relations, so as to promote relations between
the two countries, he said.
Wei spoke highly of cooperation between the two parliaments, and expressed
hope that they would conduct more fruitful cooperation.
Enebish said to develop good-neighborly relations of friendly cooperation
is one of the priorities of Mongolia's foreign policy and Mongolia is glad
that bilateral relations have developed to the present level.
The Mongolian State Great Hural will make efforts with China's National
People's Congress to continue to promote Mongolian-Chinese relations in the
next century, he said.
****
China Calls for International Cooperation in Human Development China wishes
to continue expanding cooperation with international organizations and
other countries to enhance human economic, social and environmental
security and to seek common development.
This was announced Monday in Beijing at the opening session of the
International Workshop on Development towards Human Economic, Social and
Environmental Security, co-sponsored by China International Center for
Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE) and the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP).
Officials from UNDP, CICETE, Foreign Ministry of Japan, Canadian Embassy to
China, scholars from Chinese and overseas research institutes as well as
representatives from non-governmental organizations attended the three-day
workshop.
Sun Yongfu, director-general of CICETE, called for "the establishment of a
new international political and economic order of fairness and justice".
He said that he expects "the international community, especially developed
countries, to help developing countries for development of economic, social
and environmental security and achieving common development of mankind."
China has made significant progress in security development in recent
years. However, problems still exist in such areas as regional disparities,
pollution and ecological degradation.
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