Ectracts. "Shenzhou II" Spacecraft Returns ------------------------------------------------------------------------Shen zhou-II, China's second unmanned space shuttle launched on January 10 touched down smoothly in the central part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China Tuesday at 19:22 (Beijing Time), after flying 108 circles around the earth in nearly one week. The successful recovery of the space vessel serves as a special gift to Chinese people, who are slated to mark the lunar Spring Festival, which is just seven days away. ``Shenzhou unmanned space capsule made a nearly 7-day, 108-orbit voyage after being blasted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on January 10," said a spokesman at the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Centre. It soft-landed in central Inner Mongolia at 7:22 pm, after completing the planned space science and technical experiments, he said. "Shenzhou II" Spacecraft Returns ------------------------------------------------------------------------Shen zhou II was composed of an orbital module, returning module and booster rockets, almost identical to how a manned spacecraft would be constructed, according to the centre sources. During the past few days, the centre had directed the tracking networks on land and at sea to track and monitor Shenzhou II, and sent a series of directions and data to the spacecraft and made it complete hundreds of sophisticated actions. At 6:33 pm Tuesday, when Shenzhou II was flying over the Atlantic, Yuanwang, a tracking vessel in the ocean, signalled the spacecraft to travel back to earth, according to the spokesman. Before that, the Beijing centre had directed Shenzhou II from its initial oval orbit into a round one, and ignited the spacecraft's engine for the second time to maintain a good condition of the flying orbit. China's Second Spacecraft Returns ------------------------------------------------------------------------Upon receiving the tele-commands from the Yuanwang vessel, the returning module of Shenzhou II detached itself from the orbital module, and flew towards its preset destination in a grassland in central Inner Mongolia. The Xi'an Satellite Tracking and Controlling Centre soon discovered the capsule, according to the spokesman. The returning module will be sent to Beijing within a few days, so that scientists there could conduct analysis and research on the capsule and the experimental items in it. In fact, during its week-long flight, experiments on space life environment, space materials, space astronomy and physics, and voice transmission had been conducted on the spacecraft. Space watchers noted that Tuesday's uncrewed test mission was the second in a series expected to lead to a first manned space voyage in the early 21st century. China conducted its first maiden flight of ``Shenzhou" in November 1999, also at the Jiuquan launch site. An expert at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, who declined to be identified, said China needed ``three to four more test flights of unmanned space aircraft" before it can send a human into space. Luan Enjie, director of the State Aerospace Bureau, further said that the country's first generation of astronauts were ``receiving intensive training." **** DPRK Establishes Diplomatic Relations with Netherlands The Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK and the Netherlands have established diplomatic relations, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday. **** Sino-Italian Ties to Further Grow in New Century, President Chinese President Meets Italian PM The growth of Sino-Italian ties has demonstrated that countries with different social systems can cooperate on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Chinese President Jiang Zemin <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/jzm/jzmhome.htm> told visiting Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato Tuesday, January 16. Amato is on a three-day official China tour at the invitation of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/Zhurongji.htm> . It is the second meeting between the two leaders within four months. Jiang and Amato previously met at the UN Millennium Summit last September. After expressing satisfaction over the overall growth of cooperation between the two countries in recent years, Jiang voiced the stance of the Italian government in adhering to the One-China policy and in advocating dialogue instead of confrontation on the human rights issue. Both leaders expressed the hope that people worldwide will enjoy a peaceful and stable life, shake off poverty and seek common developments in the new century. Jiang said that the world should be a colorful one and urged political leaders to be far-sighted and cooperate for peace and development. In response, Amato said that the world is moving toward multi-polarization. As countries develop unbalancedly, he called for more efforts on poverty elimination and the creation of a peaceful environment for development. "The United Nations should play a bigger role," he said. Jiang also briefed the guests on China's domestic situation. After minimizing the effects of the Asian financial crisis, China scored rapid economic growth while ensuring social stability and improving people's living standards, Jiang said, adding that all reforms also proceeded smoothly. Amato told Jiang that he has visited China in about every ten years and saw tremendous changes during every visit. He said he believed China will achieve bigger and faster development in the new century. **** FM Spokesman on India Tour by China's Top Legislator Chinese top legislator Li Peng <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/npcchair.html> 's recent visit to India <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/india.html> furthers the development of healthy and stable Sino-Indian good-neighborly relations in the new century, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry <http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/> spokesman Tuesday. "The visit also achieves its purpose of improving mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation, and it promotes the exchanges between the two states and parliaments," said Zhu Bangzao at a regular press conference. Zhu said that Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), has paid an official goodwill visit to India from January 9 to 16, at the invitation of Chairman Krishan Kant of India's Upper House of the Parliament and Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi of the House of the People. Li's trip represents another high-level visit between the two countries following Chinese President Jiang Zemin <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/jzm/jzmhome.htm> 's state visit to India in 1996 and Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan's visit to China in May, 2000. During his visit, Zhu said, Li was in contact with Indian leaders and people from other circles, exchanging views on how to push forward Sino-Indian friendly cooperation. The two sides reached agreements, he added. **** China Scored Breakthrough in Water Conservancy Projects China has made great breakthrough in water conservancy construction during the "Ninth Five Year Plan" period. The central government invested nearly 100 billion yuan in infrastructure construction for water conservancy projects in 1998, 1999 and 2000, an annual increase of three to four folds over the normal times. During the "Ninth Five Year Plan" period, China began to construct 30,000-km protecting embankment with 16,000-km of sectional embankment completed to the standard, of which the first and second tiered embankments along mainstreams and tributaries of major rivers occupied over 10,000 km. A total of 6,000 km sea dykes was built and 236 cities across the country reached the national standard for flood control, a rise of 37 percent as against the 31 percent in the early days of the "Ninth Five Year Plan" period. 25 water control projects were put into operation, an increased capacity of six billion cubic meters for flood control, and over 80 large and medium-sized reservoirs got consolidated with a capacity of 5.8 billion cubic meters being restored for the prevention of floods **** US Urged to Axe Anti-missile Plans China Tuesday reiterated serious concerns over US plans to deploy a National Missile Defence (NMD) system, urging the incoming administration to scrap the relevant tests. Plans to deploy Theatre Missile Defence and NMD are not conducive to world disarmament and arms control efforts and will have a negative impact on the 21st century global and regional strategic balance, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao. "The US already has the largest and most sophisticated nuclear and conventional arsenals in the world," said Zhu. Zhu further noted that a UN resolution sponsored by China and Russia on preserving and observing the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty last year received overwhelming support. The US plans violate the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM), which aims to maintain the global strategic balance and stability and continue the nuclear disarmament process, Zhu said. "We hope the relevant country will listen to the just call of the international community, strictly abide by the ABM treaty and give up at an early date a plan that will undermine the global strategic balance," he said. Aiming his remarks at US President-elect George W. Bush, Zhu called for continued efforts from the new administration to maintain the continued development of Sino-US relations. "As the new century dawns, China and US are faced with new opportunities and challenges and we believe and hope that during the tenure of President Bush, China and US relations will undergo new developments," Zhu said. Turning to the official goodwill visit to India by Chairman Li Peng of the National People's Congress over the past week, Zhu said Li met with Indian leaders and people of all walks of life. He had an in-depth exchange of views with them on how to push forward the Sino-Indian friendly co-operation and reached a lot of consensus, Zhu said. The visit enhanced understanding, developed friendship and strengthened co-operation. It also promoted co-operation between the two countries. **** Israeli, US, Turkish Naval Units to Hold Joint Exercise Israeli, US and Turkish naval units are to hold a joint exercise off the Israeli coast on Wednesday, Israel Radio reported on Tuesday. The exercise was described as being for humanitarian purposes and was to include air-sea rescue procedures. Five ships, three helicopters and three spotter planes are to take part in the drill. This will be the third joint exercise of its type under the code name of "Reliant Mermaid." _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
