Extracts.
Thursday, November 16, 2000, updated at 11:27(GMT+8)
Jiang Wants Rules for Economic Globalization
President Jiang Zemin, in a keynote address to the
eighth informal meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation leaders on November 16 in Bandar Seri
Begawan, called for the formulation of effective
international rules for economic globalization.
Jiang said effective rules should be set up by the
international community to ensure full participation
of all countries, help narrow the gap of wealth
between North and South, achieve common development
and prosperity, benefit all the members of the
international community, and to facilitate balanced,
stable and sustainable economic growth around the
world.
The Chinese president said economic globalization is
an important factor bearing on Asia-Pacfic economic
development.
"However, the negative effects of economic
globalization should not be neglected," the Chinese
President noted.
Developing countries face new challenges in the
globalized economy. The North-South wealth gap is
widening, trade protectionism is rising, and changes
in economic structures have harmed the interests of
many workers and ordinary people, he said.
Jiang then added, "There are a few countries that
have tried to force their own values, economic regime
and social system on other countries by taking
advantage of economic globalization."
If these problems remain unresolved, economic
globalization cannot properly develop and the common
cause of peace and development for mankind will be
threatened, Jiang said.
Jiang stressed that countries should be allowed to
choose their own path to development and determine
the model and pace of opening-up in light of their
own national conditions.
"The international community should cooperate under
the principle of equality and render stronger support
and assistance to developing countries in
particular," he added.
****
Wednesday, November 15, 2000, updated at 14:10(GMT+8)
China Committed to Open Economic Policy: President
China will remain committed to the development of an
open economy and to strengthening trade and technical
cooperation with all countries and regions after
entering the World Trade Organization (WTO), Chinese
President Jiang Zemin said November 15 in Bandar Seri
Begawan.
Speaking at the Chief Executive Officers' (CEO)
Summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) held in the Brunei capital of Bandar Seri
Begawan, Jiang said that with the country's entry
into the WTO, China will enter a new stage of
open-up.
He said that China will continue deepening reforms,
strengthening the country's system of a socialist
market economy, readjusting the economic structure,
and will continue stepping up industrial
reorganization and reform as well as structural
optimization and upgrading.
"We will adhere to the guideline of development,
focus on structural readjustment, take reform and
open-up and scientific and technological advances as
the driving force, and make it our fundamental aim to
improve people's living standards," Jiang said.
He said that China will effectively develop the
sector of the tertiary industry and accelerate the
endeavor for an information- based national economy
and society.
"We will continue to strengthen such basic
infrastructure as water conservancy, transport and
energy, adhere to the strategy of revitalizing the
nation through science and education, and galvanize
scientific and technological progress and innovation.
"We are implementing the grand strategy of developing
China's west to step up the development of the
central and western regions and promote a coordinated
growth of the economies of different regions.
"Predictably, China will predictably score even
greater achievements in its reform, open-up and
modernization," Jiang told the CEO Summit, which
precedes the eighth informal leadership meeting of
APEC.
According to Jiang, China has introduced over recent
years a series of growth measures such as expanding
domestic demand and implementing pro-active fiscal
and monetary policies.
As a result, China's national economy has maintained
a sustained, rapid and sound growth and continued to
move forward in a virtuous circle, he told the CEO
Summit, which was attended by more than 400 Chief
Executive Officers from all over the world.
China's economic restructuring is well underway,
foreign trade is gaining momentum, and China's
domestic market is thriving, according to Jiang.
He said that there is an across-the-board recovery in
consumer demand, financial operations are running
smoothly and that China has a favorable balance of
international payments. About 400 of the world's top
500 transnational corporations have opened branches
in China.
He noted that the Ninth Five-Year Plan for China's
Economic and Social Development (1996-2000) has been
implemented with success, and that China is now
formulating the Tenth Five-Year Plan for Economic and
Social Development (2001-2005).
He said APEC has enabled China to establish and
develop ties with other members. He also noted that
China's foreign trade market and sources of foreign
investment are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific
region, and that China will continue to play a
positive and constructive role in APEC.
Jiang arrived here Tuesday to attend the eighth
informal leadership meeting of APEC and to pay a
state visit to Brunei from November 17-18.
****
China, Russia to Coordinate Stance on Anti-Missile Issue President Jiang
Zemin said November 15 in Bandar Seri Begawan that China is willing to
enhance its cooperation and coordination with Russia on the anti-missile
issue.
Meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sideline of the
informal leaders' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Jiang
said the shared stance of China and Russia on this issue has won more and
more support from the international world since the United Nations General
Assembly approved the decision on safeguarding and abiding the Anti-Missile
Agreement earlier this year.
Putin said that his country will not change its attitude toward the
anti-missile issue.
In their talks, Jiang highly appraised the development of the bilateral
ties between the two large countries in the Pacific area.
China and Russia will have a great prospect in developing their economic
and trade cooperation in the next century, especially with Russian economic
recovery.
The Russian president said with the intensive contacts between the two
leaders, the two sides have enjoyed very good cooperation both in the
economic field and in the fields of safeguarding the world peace and other
international issues.
This is the fourth meeting between the two heads of state within this year.
****
Indonesia Opposes External Intervention in Aceh: Minister The Indonesian
government would not tolerate any intervention from external forces into
the Aceh problem, but it would be cooperative with any parties including
the United Nation (UN) to facilitate peace talks between Jakarta and the
Aceh rebel group in a bid to deal with the problem under the unitary state
of Indonesia framework, a senior official said Wednesday.
Coordinating Minister for Politics, Social and Security affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono told a press conference that Jakarta is concerned over
the recent developments in the western-most province and appealed all
parties to restraint to avoid further casualties.
Indicating not to let the province from being independent, Yudhoyono said,
"The Indonesian government will not respond to the Acehnese demand (to
separate from Indonesia) emotionally but rationally. The government thinks
that if the problem is related to the sovereignty of the state (Aceh
problem), it is not the executives' business only, but also the parliament
(DPR), the Assembly (MPR) and all the Indonesian people's businesses. All
parties in the country should pay their attention to that (Aceh),"
Yudhoyono said.
"We will not tolerate any intervention from external forces. But we are
ready to be cooperative with them, such as the United Nations to tackle
with the problem peacefully. This is also referred to the problem in Irian
Jaya. But all talks should be carried out under the framework of the
unitary state of Indonesia, " he said.
He reiterated that the best solution for Aceh is a wide ranging autonomy
that would be implemented in early next year. "The implementation of a wide
ranging autonomy would be the best way out to tackle the problem in Aceh,"
he said.
Yudhoyono also said the upcoming signing of the cease-fire accord is
adjourned until late this month.
"We received wirenews from facilitators from Switzerland that the date for
the signing of humanitarian pause agreement would be adjourned. It can not
take place on November 16-17 as set before due to recent situation in
Aceh," he said.
The predominantly Muslim province has been demanding for independence over
past 24 years. And a leading separatist group there, the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) has been stepping up their fighting against Jakarta, in particular,
in the wake of the falling of th eSoeharto regime in 1998.
Representatives from Jakarta and the rebel group reached a cease-fire
agreement or so called humanitarian pause deal in Switzerland in May this
year and extended in September in a bid to reduce tension and violence. But
it seems the accord doesn't work well.
Both sides are initially scheduled to sign an extension accord on November
16-17 in Switzerland.
Police said that since the signing of the accord, the rebels have
intensified their attack against the security personnel and the casualties
increased significantly since then.
On Tuesday, some 100,000 people gathered in Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh
province, and they read out a seven-point declaration demanding the central
government restore the sovereignty of Aceh as "a free and separate nation."
The organizers also warned that if the demands are not met by November 26,
they will call on all Acehnese to organize peaceful mass strikes from
November 27 to December 3.
The declaration also included a call on the international community and the
United Nations to intervene to help find a political, security and
humanitarian solution to the problems in Aceh.
Yudhoyono hoped that problem in Aceh could still be solved peacefully
through a dialogue measures.
"Actually, we have three options to deal with the problem, namely extension
of the humanitarian pause with some improvements; the cutting of the
cease-fire agreement and find out another solution and the last option is
imposing civilian emergency in Aceh," he said.
"But we think that security approach in Aceh will cost too much. Well, the
price will be too expensive," he said, indicating Jakarta has not decided
yet which option would be taken. "But we don't think about other step but
extending humanitarian pause agreement," he added.
The day before, police asked the government to review the cease- fire
accord with the Acehnese rebel, the GAM has misused the deal to "steal
chance" and mobilizing power to attack against the security personnel
there.
It also demanded that Jakarta declare the GAM as a separatist gang that
should be cracked down by stern measures and through law enforcement.
Spokesman of the national police Brig. Gen. Saleh Sa'af said from August
1998 to November 2000 as many as 198 police personnel have been killed, 316
injured and 25 missing. From military personnel (mostly Army) 75 personnel
were killed, 218 wounded and 18 missing.
Meanwhile, during the same period, 660 Acehnese civilians also were killed,
307 injured and 159 missing. In addition, as many as 582 members of the GAM
have been arrested and they have been put under police custody for further
legal process.
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