Extracts. China to Spread Bio-technology in Agriculture Biological and information technologies may be widely employed in agriculture in the coming years in China, an expert is quoted Saturday at the ongoing Shanghai Science and Technology Forum. After the bio-engineering pharmaceutical industry, agriculture will be the next pilot field for gene technologies, said Shi Yuanchun, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Gene technologies have been used for producing pesticides and farming vaccines, Shi said. Meanwhile, computerized networks characterized with information technology will also help agricultural sector proceed in establishing information network for agricultural specialists, agricultural information network, and network for macro monitoring and control technology in agriculture, he said. **** President Jiang Leaves Beijing for Three-nation Asian Trip President Jiang Zemin left Beijing Saturday afternoon by a special plane for a state visit to Laos, Cambodia and Brunei and attending the 8th Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Informal Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital city of Brunei. Jiang's visit to the three Asian countries is at the invitation of Lao President Khamtay Siphandone, Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk and Brunei's Sultan and Head of State Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Among those seeing President Jiang off at the Great Hall of the People were Premier Zhu Rongji, Vice-President Hu Jintao, Vice-Chairman Zhang Wannian of the Central Military Commission, Vice-Chairman Jiang Chunyun of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice-Chairman Ren Jianxin of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and other senior Chinese officials as well as diplomatic envoys of the three countries. **** Cuban Press Highlights UN Approval of Resolution Against US Blockade Cuban media are highlighting Thursday the United Nation's approval of the Cuban-drafted resolution which urged the United States to lift its 40-year long economic blockade against this Caribbean island nation. Cuban official gazette "Granma" called it an overwhelming victory, with the crushing support of 167 delegates voted in favor of the resolution on Wednesday at the United Nation's General Assembly. It said that "Washington again was left almost alone before the international repulsion to its obstinate policy of attacking and embargoing Cuba." The "Rebel Youth" daily also affirmed that "the already failed American policy of blocking Cuba has received another hard blow and a greater discredit than ever, when the overwhelming majority of the world committee condemned this genocide practice". Both papers published the entire speech delivered by Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque at the General Assembly plenary. The Cuba-initiated resolution passed with 167 votes in favor, the widest margin in nine consecutive years since 1992. Only the United States, Israel and the Marshall Island voted against it. Four countries abstained. **** US Endorsement of Act with Anti-China Provisions Opposed The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress issued a statement November 10, voicing strong indignation over and opposition against the US administration's endorsement of an Act that contains anti-China provisions. The US Administration recently signed into law the "Foreign Operations, Export Financing & Related Programs Appropriation Act, 2001", which was passed by the US Senate and House of Representatives. The Act, containing a number of anti-China provisions, brutally interferes in China's internal affairs and undermines China's interests by exploiting the issues of Taiwan, human rights and Tibet, the statement noted. According to the statement, the Act once again advocates sales of weapons to Taiwan and requires the US President to consult with Congressional leaders and ranking members prior to the next round of arms talks between the United States and Taiwan. It noted that the US side should know quite well the definite commitment made the US Government in the Sino-US "August 17th Communique" in 1982, i.e., the US "does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan", "that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and that it intends gradually to reduce sales of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution". However, in recent years, it stated, the US side, disregarding the firm opposition from the Chinese side, wantonly violates the provisions in the "August 17th Communique". Instead of reducing and stopping arms sales to Taiwan, the statement said, the US has further increased sales of advanced arms to Taiwan, far exceeding the level of the past years both in quality and in quantity. This not only constitutes a severe encroachment upon China's sovereignty, but also pours oil on the flame fanned up by the "Taiwan independence" forces, resulting in tension in the Taiwan Straits and blocking China's peaceful reunification, it noted. The US side should fully perceive the grave consequences implied in the US arms sales to Taiwan and abide by the three Sino-US joint communiques and relevant commitments and immediately cease its arms sales to Taiwan, it urged. In gross violation of the international norms, the Act provides support to Chinese separatist activities and other hostile elements under various pretexts, the statement pointed out, strongly condemning such provocative acts by the US side. The statement noted it is in the fundamental interests of the two countries to maintain and promote stable and healthy bilateral relations. It advises the American side to pay serious regard to the importance of the Sino-US relations, scrupulously carry out the three Sino-US joint communiques and observe the basic norms governing international relations. "We must also ask the US side to stop making use of the Taiwan, Tibetan and human rights issues in their interference in China's internal affairs and avoid doing anything detrimental to the Sino-US relations," it said. **** Jiang's Visit -- Great Event in History of Lao-Chinese Ties Chinese President Jiang Zemin's upcoming state visit to Laos will certainly become "a great event in the history of Lao-Chinese ties," said Khamtay Siphandone, president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. "This visit is very important for enhancing mutual understanding and further promoting the traditional friendly relations and cooperation between Laos and China," the Lao president told Chinese reporters in an interview Thursday. "The visit will not only bring the Chinese people's deepest fraternity and strongest support to the Lao people, but will also strengthen the regional and global peace, cooperation and development," he stressed. The ever-growing friendly ties and all-around cooperation between the two ruling parties, the two countries and the two peoples, which are "totally in conformity with the aspirations and interests of both sides," are continuously yielding positive results in all fields, the top Lao leader said. For example, Khamtay said that the bilateral trade, which is conducted mostly in border areas between the two countries, is developing rapidly. "The Lao-Chinese cooperation and exchange in personnel, tourism, culture, education and other aspects, are also expanding steadily and constantly." Predicting a "brighter future" for the bilateral cooperation, he said the two countries now have all the advantages and potentials to push the cooperation to higher levels continuously. "That is because we have the traditional ties of mutual support and unity which can be traced back to ancient times, the common ideals, the common frontiers and the various fields where we can complement each other." Asked about his impression of China, Khamtay, who has visited China frequently during past decades as a long-time friend, said that China's development is so rapid that he can surely find many new changes every time he goes there. "During the 51 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially in the recent over 20 years after China's adoption of the reform and opening-up policy, the country has been transformed from being poor and undeveloped into a fast-growing world power which is strong in every aspect," he said. Khamtay said that being economically strong, socially and politically stable, China is playing an increasing role in the international arena, which will help build a new world order of peace, cooperation, development and equality. He said his country will support China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), which, in his opinion, will help promote the spirit of equality and mutual benefits in the international trade system. "China's experience has set a good example for us in constructing and developing our country," he noted. The recent 25 years after the founding of the Lao People's Democratic Republic have witnessed overall improvements and developments in social, economic and other aspects of the country, he said. "Those achievements are made after we overcame all the difficulties, geographical, historical, and, more recently, the Asian crisis," he said, pointing to the continuous growth of the country's Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and the constant increase of agricultural and industrial production. "We have realized that we could not have achieved those successes alone without the help of friendly countries, especially China, " he said. On the Taiwan issue, Khamtay reiterated that the Lao government will always stick to the "One China" policy and said that the "One Country, Two Systems" policy is an innovation and will certainly achieve great success. "Laos will always regard China as a reliable strategic partner, and I am sure that president Jiang's visit will further consolidate and promote our friendly relations and cooperation," the top Lao leader said. **** Many Key Issues to Be Improved for Tibet's Modernization Tibetologists and folk scholars said that many key issues in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other regions heavily populated with Tibetans should be handled with care for modernization in those areas. During the three-day symposium, which ended Friday in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, over 70 experts and scholars suggested that the improvement of local people's living standards should be placed at the core of regional economic development in Tibet. Agriculture, industry and service sectors must be enhanced in tandem with each other, they said. Raising the quality of the local people is a prerequisite for Tibet's modernization and the local government should explore a personnel training and management system that is consistent with local characteristics. Faced with economic globalization, local people must find effective measures to preserve unique cultures, which show elite traditions of the Tibetan people and Tibetan Buddhism. Other topics of the symposium also included infrastructure construction, ecological protection, tourism development, urbanization and the status of Tibetan women in economic development. Li Guoqing, deputy secretary-general of China Tibetology Research Center, said that his center plans to sponsor an international symposium on Tibetology in Beijing in July next year. _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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