Extracts.
Saturday, December 02, 2000, updated at 11:21(GMT+8)
China, New Zealand Hope to Strengthen Ties
[Image]
Premier Zhu met with New Zealand's Governor-General
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Premier Zhu Rongji met with New Zealand's
Governor-General Michael Hardie Boys in Beijing on
Friday, December 1, and the two leaders expressed
their wishes of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Zhu expressed the belief that the visit, the first
ever state visit to China by a Governor-General of
New Zealand, will actively promote the sustainable
development of a friendly and cooperative
relationship between the two countries.
He said the Chinese government has always paid great
attention to the development of relations with New
Zealand.
China and New Zealand are both Asia-Pacific countries
and the friendly ties between the two nations have a
long history, Zhu said, adding that both countries
are taking measures to develop their economies and
hope to maintain and promote peace and prosperity in
the region and the world at large.
"Promoting bilateral cooperation not only conforms to
the interests of the two peoples, but also
contributes to peace and development in the world,"
Zhu said.
Zhu noted that leaders of the two countries last year
agreed to establish a long-term, stable and healthy
comprehensive cooperative relationship, laying down
the goal and framework for the development of the
bilateral relationship in the new century.
"This is of great significance to guiding the
long-term development of the two countries," he
added.
This year, Zhu said, the two countries have been
actively implementing programs agreed on by leaders
last year, and new life has been breathed into the
comprehensive cooperative relationship between the
two countries, with economic and trade cooperation
forging ahead.
With joint efforts from the two governments, Zhu
said, cooperation between China and New Zealand in
education, tourism and other sectors made progress,
adding that bilateral cooperation has vast potential
and bright prospects.
"China wishes to further develop cooperation with New
Zealand on the basis of mutual respect, equality and
mutual benefit," he said.
New Zealand highly values its friendly and
cooperative relationship with China and considers it
as one of the country's most important bilateral
relationships, said the Governor-General.
The Governor-General said New Zealand will make
greater efforts to expand exchanges between
high-ranking officials of the two countries, and will
strengthen cooperation in the fields of the economy,
trade, education and tourism.
Chinese vice foreign minister Yang Jiechi, Chinese
ambassador to New Zealand Chen Wenzhao, vice minister
of education Lu Fuyuan, vice minister of foreign
trade and economic cooperation Sun Zhenyu, director
of China National Tourism Administration He Guangwei,
as well as ranking officials of New Zealand, were
present at the meeting.
****
DPRK Condemns Japan for Attempt to Raise Status of Defense Agency The
Democratic People's Republic of Korea condemned Japan for trying to raise
the status of the Defense Agency to the level of a ministry Friday,
December 1.
The three ruling coalition parties in Japan agreed recently to have a
meeting to discuss such issues as raising the agency to "ministry,"
allowing the "minister" to make regulations and decrees, and developing
Japan's armed forces into a full-fledged regular army, the Korean Central
News Agency said in an editorial.
The editorial said this means the ambitious Japanese militarist moves to
build the country into a military power have been adopted as a state
policy. Japan is advancing step by step to realize its goal of full
militarization.
Last year Japan adopted and put into effect the law related to the updated
"guidelines" which legalizes Japanese military actions abroad. These days
Japan is seeking to revise the Constitution which bans war.
Under article 9 of its Constitution, namely "Peace Constitution ", Japan, a
war criminal state, is prohibited from having regular ground, naval and air
forces and conducting collective military actions against other countries.
But when the Defense Agency becomes a "ministry" and the right of
collective "self-defense" is allowed, the Constitution of Japan would be
invalid, the editorial pointed out.
It said since militarism has been adopted as a policy, it is clear that
Japan will unhesitatingly go out for overseas aggression if militarism
holds sway over the country.
****
Major Chinese Company to Help Myanmar Expand Telecom Network A leading
Chinese modernized telecommunication and information enterprise, the
Shanghai Bell Co. Ltd., reached the largest whole-set high-technology
export contract with the Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications authorities
Friday in Yangon for improving and expanding the telecommunication network
in four major cities in Myanmar.
On behalf of respective parties, President of the Shanghai Bell Co. Ltd.
Gunther Strobel and Director-General of the Myanma Posts and
Telecommunications U Maung Maung Tin signed the contract.
Attending the contract signing ceremony were Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar
Liang Dong and Myanmar Minister of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs
Brigadier-General Win Tin.
The contracted project, worth nearly US$20 million, will cover expansion of
the telecommunication network in Yangon, Mandalay, Pyay and Toungoo.
Under the contract, the products supplied by the Chinese company cover a
55,000-line digital switching system, transmission equipment, outside plant
cable and integrated services digital network.
The project is scheduled to complete in two years and the telecommunication
infrastructure of Myanmar is expected to take on a new look after
implementation.
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