Extracts. China Opposes Taiwan Leader's Stopover in US China is opposed to Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> leader stopover in the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> on his visit to Central America, foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Thursday. Zhu said at a regular press conference that China has repeatedly stated its stand on Taiwan to the United States, opposing any Taiwan leaders or high-profile politicians to visit or make any stopovers in the United States. "We have made clear our attitudes and I think the United States knows our stand," he said. "We hope that the United States could handle this issue according to its commitments to us and the three Sino-US joint communiques. We hope more and more countries could realize that there is only one China in the world." **** FM Spokesman Refutes Allegations of Assisting Iraqi Air Defense System The US has ulterior motives by alleging that China is aiding Iraq <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/iraq.html> 's air defense system, and this move will be futile, Chinese Foreign Ministry <http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/> spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Thursday. Zhu said, in a statement at the routine press conference, that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has always strictly and earnestly implemented all the council's resolutions on the Iraqi issue. The US and Britain <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/uk.html> utterly violated the UN Charter and norms guiding international relations, by bypassing the Security Council and taking a unilateral military action against Iraq, thus met with extensive condemnations from the international community, the spokesman said. The US side, by criticizing China, attempted to confuse public opinion and divert public attentions with ulterior motives, and this will be futile, Zhu added. **** China's Customs to Implement New Anti-Corruption Measures China will step up the auditing of directors of customs nationwide, starting March 1, as a way to curb corruption among customs officials, the General Administration of Customs announced Thursday. All directors of customs will have to pass auditing before they leave their post, whether the director will get promoted, transferred to new position, retire, resign or get fired, according to a press release issued by the administration. The new measures are aimed at strengthening supervision and management of customs directors, and preventing corruption from its' roots, an official of the administration said. Key auditing areas will cover general administrating, fees and tax collection and handover, use of power in application granting, handling of smuggling cases and confiscated goods, management of customs finance, among others. The official said all directors will have to receive auditing from a superior level before they leave their current position. If necessary, a superior auditing department can do a surprise audit. "The new measures will be a kind of restriction to customs directors," said the official. "They will be under pressure to seriously carry out their duty according to law, and run the customs in a clean manner." **** Aged Citizens Urged to Fight Against Falun Gong Cult The China National Committee on Aging issued a notice recently encouraging its subcommittees at all levels and aged citizens in general to join the fight against the banned Falun Gong cult. The notice emphasized that the self-immolation incident of Falun Gong practitioners in Tiananmen Square on January 23 further exposed the cult's evil anti-humanity, anti-society and anti- science nature, as well as Li Hongzhi's sinister ambition to overthrow the Chinese government. All aging committees are asked to attach importance to the ideological work concerning old people by explaining to them issues involved. The local committees should organize more entertainment and exercise activities suitable for elderly people, said the notice. And the building of more facilities for such activities should be made priority items for communities. **** Japan Urged to Stop Issuing Text Books Harming Sino-Japanese Ties China demands Japan to take prompt and effective measures to stop issuing textbooks which denies and beautifies its history of aggression, so as to safeguard Sino-Japanese relations. "Japan should be true in word and resolute in deed," said Zhu Bangzao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, in Thursday's regular press conference. Zhu said that the issue of a Japanese history textbook is a political and principled issue of great importance, and it concerns the feelings of people who were the victims and is related to Japan's stance and attitude towards its history of aggression. Chinese government and people have closely watched the recent pulse in Japan on the issue of its' history book, he noted. "It should be pointed out that Japanese right-wing groups make all efforts to concoct a history textbook with the purpose of advocating so called 'empire history sense' by denying and beautifying its history of aggression," Zhu said. He added that although small amendments have been made in the text books, they are still absurd and ridiculous. China, through all kinds of channels, has expressed its solemn stance and concern for the issue and urged the Japanese government to properly settle it with a responsible attitude, he said. Japan has also vowed to observe the related principles stipulated in China-Japan Joint Declaration and the talks of Japanese former Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi on historical issues, he noted. Moreover, Chinese and Japanese governments have reached common ground last year on developing Sino-Japanese relations according to what they've learned from history and are now facing the future, Zhu added. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
