Extracts. Fight Against Falun Gong, Part of World's Efforts Against Cults The fight against the Falun Gong cult by the Chinese government and people has constituted an important part of the battle against cults worldwide, said Wang Yusheng, secretary general of the China Anti-cult Association, on Monday, February 12. Wang said that China is willing to form a joint battlefront to wage a global struggle against cults. Cults in many countries including Japan, the United States, France, the Republic of Korea and Uganda have run rampant in recent years. Cults have become obstacles to social progress and brought disaster to numerous families and individuals, and communities all over the world. Bewitched by Falun Gong, nearly 1,700 people in China have died because they refused medical treatment when ill, or they committed suicide or self-mutilation. What is even worse is that Falun Gong teaches practitioners to abandon their love for family members and relatives, claiming that anyone, including parents and children, who does not practice Falun Gong could become the enemy. Thus numerous families can no longer be happy again under the spiritual control of Falun Gong. All the doing that Falun Gong has advocated has exposed its destructive nature as a cult. Fu Tieshan, chairman of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, said that "the Falun Gong cult and the cults in Japan, France, Uganda and the United States, share a common nature: They not only jeopardize social order, but also seduce people to commit suicide, especially mass suicide." Feng Jinyuan, a research fellow with the Institute of World Religions under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that most extreme cult leaders in foreign countries take poison and set themselves on fire together with their followers. But, Li Hongzhi, ringleader of the Falun Gong cult, hides in his so-called "cozy nest" to plot, direct and control his followers to commit suicide and self-immolation. The researcher pointed out that Li Hongzhi often seduces his followers to make trouble on public holidays, attempting to cooperate with anti-China forces to attack China on human rights conditions. This fully reflects the political motives of the cult,the researcher added. According to the China Anti-cult Association, 3,000 to 4,000 cults have been uncovered around the world, with nearly 100 million followers. The danger of cults has aroused the attention of all governments worldwide. It has become a common understanding of statesmen around the world to fight against, curb and crack down on all harmful criminal activities of cults. The fight against cults is welcomed and supported by people throughout the world. The Japanese government revised its related law on religious affairs and in November of 1999, approved bills aimed at tightening control of AUM Shinrikyo, the cult held responsible for the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system. Some Western European countries, such as France, Germany, Austria and Belgium have set up powerful organizations in recent years to cement prevention, control and attacks on cults. The United States once charged the Branch Davidian Cult with the crimes of privately possessing arms and ammunition, and illegally marketing ammunition. The US even dispatched a large number of armed police to break up the cult when they caused trouble. Feng Jinyuan said, the Chinese government and people have always supported the efforts of other governments' in cracking down on cults, and they have never changed their attitude toward cults, even if a country with a cult boasts a different social system or cultural background from China. Feng said he hopes that some western countries will not use double standards in their handling of cults. Experts and scholars from the United States, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Uganda, Canada and Russia at an international symposium on destructive cults held in Beijing last November appealed that it is impossible to curb the spread of cults by just relying on a single country, and it has become a must to strengthen international cooperation in combating evil cults. It is learned that non-governmental anti-cult organizations in Switzerland have invited Chinese experts to conduct investigations on the anti-cult work in that country. The China Anti-cult Association will soon invite international experts to Beijing to exchange views on prevention and handling of the issue of cults. Duan Qiming, an expert with the State Administration of Religious Affairs, said that the Falun Gong cult has developed in many countries and has become an international cult. Duan called on related countries to support the Chinese government and people in their fight against the cult, and take necessary measures to stop the Falun Gong cult from creating tragedies in those countries. "That not only embodies their friendly feelings toward Chinese people, but also is a move which is responsible for their own people," Duan said. **** China Satisfied with Ties with Canada: Jiang China is satisfied with the positive progress in its ties with Canada in recent years, President Jiang Zemin said Tuesday, February 13, while meeting Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Jiang expressed the belief that bilateral friendly cooperative relations score steady development, so long as both sides handle the ties on the basis of mutual respect and benefit, equal consultation, as well as seeking common ground while preserving differences. **** China Resolutely Opposes US Arms Sales to Taiwan: FM Spokesman China resolutely opposes the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> ' arms sales to Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> and any form of incorporating Taiwan into its planned theater missile defense system, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Tuesday. China also firmly opposes alleged US' sales of the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile defense system and other missiles, said Zhu at a regular press briefing here, in response to a question about this issue. "We have noticed relevant news reports, which cited US sources, about the possibility of US selling PAC-3 missiles to Taiwan," Zhu said, adding that China is "very concerned" over the reports. He said that China had already lodged solemn representations to the U.S. on many occasions and demands that the US fully recognize the danger of its sales of the above-mentioned weapons to Taiwan. China also demands the US be earnest in responding to China's representations, and strictly observe the one-China policy, the three joint communiques, and relevant commitments made by the US, he said. Zhu said that China demands the US not sell the PAC-3 and related missiles and all other arms equipment to Taiwan, so as to avoid serious consequences to Sino-US relations. **** Why Europe Is Critical of Washington on NMD? The criticism of European leaders and politicians on the US National Missile Defense (NMD)is resurfacing as the new American administration looks set to develop the controversial anti-missile weapon system. Over the past few weeks, European leaders such as German Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder, French President Jacques Chirac and Italian Prime Minster Damato, among others, have expressed their concerns over the US intention. Evidently, several considerations are in their minds. First, they fear that the NMD's deployment could be detrimental to world peace and stability. The United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> has regarded the Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense treaty signed in 1972 with the former Soviet Union as an obstacle to its NMD development and threatened to unilaterally abrogate it. Such moves, Europeans fear, could lead to new arms race and fresh danger of proliferation of mass destructive weapons. Therefore, Chirac called the US program an "invitation to proliferation." Shroeder said at the recent Munich Security Policy Conference, "we should work together to preserve the acquisition as it relates to arms control policy, and if possible to develop it further." German Minister of Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer echoed him by noting that to prevent proliferation through political means, especially international treaties, would continue to be the groundwork of security. Secondly, the purpose of the US NMD is dubious. To justify NMD, US officials argue that it is necessary to prevent missile attack from the so-called "rogue states." But Europeans hardly buy the argument. Karl Lamers, foreign policy spokesman of Germany <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/Germany.html> 's Christian Democratic Union, said in an interview with "Der Tagesspiegel" (Daily Mirror) that Washington's argument is "not serious," because terrorists could attack the United States with "suitcase bombs"instead of missiles. He noted that the intention of the United States to possess "all the means of attack" while seeking "invincibility" with the NMD system could be regarded by others as pursuing "domination." In a commentary titled "suspicion in the alliance," the "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" (South German Daily) said more bluntly that "in truth, the missile defense is a project to safeguard the American's leading role" in the world. Even Britain, America's best friend in Europe, seems unsure. British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said that "there is no perception" in Britain <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/uk.html> of a threat that warrants such a missile defense shield. The transatlantic differences are boiled down to different security concerns arising in the post-cold war era. While the West European countries face threats mainly from conflicts triggered by religious and national hatred in surrounding countries, the United States is preoccupied with the challenge of maintaining sole superpower status. Thirdly, the feasibility of NMD is questionable. After meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair Friday, Chirac said he had "tremendous reservations" about the NMD, because it would upset international relations, and would be "hugely expensive," British "Financial Times" reported. He pointed out that throughout history "the sword" had always prevailed over "the shield," which means that NMD is not as invincible as Washington has advocated. Shroeder also questioned the feasibility and consequences of NMD at the Munich conference. The Europeans' criticism on NMD reflects the ever stronger desire of European, especially EU, countries, to step out of the shadows of Washington in issues concerning their security and play a distinct role fit to their success of economic and political integration. The European Union has planned to build its own rapid reaction military force, which has caused uneasiness in Washington. For the benefit of common interests and maintenance of trans- atlantic relations, European leaders have avoided harsh criticism on NMD, and called diplomatically for "dialogue" with the United States instead. Washington has also promised "consultation." But the prospective talks could by no means be easy, given Europeans' concerns and suspicions. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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