Extracts. Apologize to Chinese People ¨C Wisest Choice for US The wisest choice of the US government is to bear full responsibility and apologize to the Chinese people for the mid-air plane collision incident. People across China have continued to express strong indignation at the US for its hegemonic act to hit a Chinese fighter, wantonly intrude into China's territorial airspace and infringe upon China's sovereignty. Piao Xiangshu, an undergraduate of Central University for Nationalities, said: "Over the past few days, my schoolmates have paid much attention to the collision incident." According to both international laws and the Chinese laws, the responsibility completely lies in the US, she said, ¡°This is an absolutely indisputable fact. So far, the US government has not apologized to the Chinese people, thus fully revealing its nature of pursuing hegemonism.¡± Teachers and students of prestigious Qinghua University noted that the US government must apologize to the Chinese people. They also voiced their resolute support to the stand of the Chinese government in the mid-air collision incident. People in Sichun Province, southwest China, showed enormous concern over the safety of Wang Wei, the missing Chinese pilot, and felt very indignant at the arrogant attitude of the US government. Xiong Junsong, general manager of Sichuan's Haitian Ltd. Co., said that the act of a US spy plane hitting a Chinese fighter severely infringed upon China's sovereignty. He also said: "The hegemonic act and the irresponsible attitude of the US have infuriated us business executives. Recently, we have been following closely the development of the incident. We firmly back the solemn stand of the Chinese government, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and dignity. We demand the US make an official apology to the Chinese government and the Chinese people.¡± Hao Chaohui and Hao Chaoxia, cousins of Wang Wei, the missing Chinese pilot, said that Wang Wei performed missions for China and safeguarded the territory for the Chinese people. "We feel proud of him." They continued: "The US must stop spy activities along China's coastal areas immediately, in order to prevent similar incidents from ha **** Nation Urges Rights Talks high-ranking Chinese official has called on the United States to abandon confrontation and turn to dialogue to resolve differences with China on human rights issues. "The door for dialogue is open," said Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Guangya. "We hope the US side will give up the practice of confrontation using the excuse of human rights and go back to dialogue." China and the United States conducted several rounds of talks on human rights in the 1990s, but the momentum was lost when NATO bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in May, 1999. The heads of state of the two countries agreed in principle last November during the informal leadership meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation to resume dialogue. "The Chinese side has made lots of efforts to put into effect the agreement by the leaders and we hope the US side will create a constructive environment for the resumption of human rights talks," said Wang during an interview with China Daily. "But what the United States has done in Geneva is unpopular and it is doomed to failure." "It is not conducive to the resumption of Sino-US human rights talks," he added. Wang's words came as the United States plans to table a draft resolution at the current session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Commission, claiming that China's human rights conditions deteriorated last year. This will be the 10th year in a row that an anti-China draft resolution has been submitted to the commission. None of the previous draft resolutions have won enough votes. The vice-minister cited China's achievements in poverty alleviation, the development of the Internet, enhanced protection of religious freedom, crack-downs on corruption and its legislative efforts as examples demonstrating the nation's promotion of human rights. Official statistics indicate that in the last year alone, the Chinese Government helped more than 8 million people shake off the shackles of poverty. Internet subscribers in China already exceed 22 million. In the latest move to promote human rights, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in February. The Chinese Government will ensure the rights and fulfil the duties enshrined in the convention in line with China's conditions step by step, Wang pledged. He also revealed that another covenant, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is now being studied by the relevant departments in China. Concerning the issue of Falun Gong, Wang said that the cult should be seen as a threat to people's rights as it has resulted in the death of some 1,700 people. "The Chinese Government has taken the right step in banning the cult," he said. "It is a move that protects the human rights of the Chinese people." Prior to the March-April UN Human Rights Commission, the United States dished out a country-specified human rights report in February, in which China's human rights conditions once again came under fire. "It has been widely acknowledged in the world that China's human rights conditions have never been better," said Wang. "Anyone without prejudice will come to that conclusion. The US accusation does not hold water." He criticized the United States for "making the human rights issue a toolfor political confrontation and made the UN Human Rights Commission a court to judge the human rights record of other countries, particularly those with views different from the United States." The human rights issue has often been at the centre of bilateral relations between China and the United States in recent years. The US Congress last year agreed to grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations only after adding provisions to the bill that censure China's human rights conditions. Last week, the US House of Representatives' International Relations Committee passed a bill that interferes with China's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games by accusing the country of human rights violations. Wang tracked the root cause of the confrontation on human rights issues between the two countries to the great differences of concrete conditions in the two countries as well as a lack of understanding. He added that some US statesmen are reluctant to give up their Cold War mentality. He called for equality and respect in handling differences. According to Wang, the status as the world's only superpower allows the United States to impose political pressure on other countries using the excuse of human rights. Confrontation using the cover of human rights is also caused by bipartisan politics in the United States, he added. "Imposing one's own value system on others is neither realistic nor conducive to the establishment of a just and rational world political and economic order," said the vice-minister. **** Overseas Chinese Residing in Togo Denounce US Hegemonism Xie Yanshen, chairman of the Association of Overseas Chinese in Togo, pointed out that the US has laid bare its hegemonic nature once again in the collision incident in which a US spy plane hit a Chinese fighter. The US plane intruded into China's airspace and yet refused to apologize to the Chinese people, he said. In an interview with Xinhua, Xie said that all overseas Chinese residing in Togo are indignant at this hegemonic act of the US. Xie added that, China is no longer the old China which was subject to invasion and bullyingg by Western powers. "China does not seek hegemonism in the world, but will never permit other countries to bully it," he said. The US government must make an official apology to China for the collision incident that has seriously infringed on China's sovereignty and hurting the national dignity of the Chinese people, he added. Overseas Chinese resolutely support the solemn and just stand of the Chinese government, he said. **** Iraqi Daily Condemns US Hegemony over Plane Collision The Babil, the most influential daily newspaper in Iraq, on Monday condemned the US hegemony over the collision of a US spy plane with a Chinese jet fighter. In a front-page editorial entitled "American air piracy over China," the Babil said that the accident showed the character of the US administration under President George W. Bush, which is "making provocations by playing the role of an evil pirate and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries." As to the 24 US crew members who landed in China's Hainan Island without permission of the Chinese authorities, the editorial said that "The US crew did not come as visitors, they came as spies and violated the territorial sovereignty of an independent country." The editorial suggested that without an apology from the US side, the current standoff between China and the US can not be possibly resolved. On April 1, a US EP-3 surveillance plane bumped into a Chinese jet fighter off the coast of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. The Chinese fighter crashed and its pilot is still missing. While the US plane, without informing Chinese authorities beforehand, intruded China's airspace and made an emergency landing in Hainan. China has held the US fully responsible for the accident and demanded a full apology from the US government to the Chinese people, but the US has so far only expressed "regret" over the loss of the Chinese pilot and has firmly ruled out an apology. **** China, US Discuss Settlement of Plane Collision China and the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> have in the past few days conducted several rounds of diplomatic consultations to resolve the situation surrounding the collision between a US surveillance plane and a Chinese military plane, Xinhua learned from the Chinese Foreign Ministry <http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/> Monday. The US plane bumped into and caused the destruction of a Chinese fighter jet, then entered into Chinese territorial airspace and landed at a Chinese airport without permission on April 1. The pilot of the Chinese plane remains missing. During the consultations, the Chinese side reiterated that the US side should take full responsibility for the incident and apologize to the Chinese side, and take effective measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again. **** US Spy Plane's Aggressive Tricks Told The US spy plane has caused the missing of Chinese pilot, said Wang Wei's comrade-in-Arms Zeng Cheng when speaking about his experience and anger at US spy plane's aggressive acts and bumping Chinese fighter jet over China's airspace. Zeng Cheng, deputy regimental commander and first-grade pilot fighting side by side with Wang Wei said that in recent years he has been assigned for many times to ward off recurrent intrusions of US spy planes. In order to get away with their reconnaissance, US spy planes relying on their propeller engine have been up to all possible foul tricks such as a slowdown in speed by taking advantage of their functional difference. Our fighter jet specializes in high-speed, high-altitude flight while US has its EP-3 specially for spy surveillance at a low speed. Flying at a speed of 300 km/h or even 250 km/h and a sudden climb or descent often bring us difficulty in tracking them down. A sudden change of direction and precarious steep turns often pose direct threat to our pilots' safety and give us great trouble. It goes without saying it was the US spy plane's sudden turn that has rammed our fighter jet and caused the missing of my comrade-in-arm Wang Wei. Duan Hui, a pilot in the same unit with Wang Wei said, he and Wang Wei had been for many times on order to track US military spy planes. On the morning of 1999 New Year's Day, in order to get away with its reconnaissance, the US spy plane at times flew into clouds, lowered speed, then raised speed, suddenly ascended or descended and in a varied direction, irrespective of various risks to be taken. To deal with the situation, Wang Wei and I had a 20-minute bout with US plane, and then they had to fly away. Fan Liping, regimental commander said that the US politicians still clasp their Cold War mentality and often send warplanes to spy on and disturb China over our airspace. As Chinese servicemen, we must perform our sacred mission in guaranteeing the safety of our motherland. This year, our command has sent dozens of jet flights to track and monitor US spy planes on a spy mission over China's airspace. The US military reconnaissance plane has resorted to many a varied tricks and brazenly made aggressive actions to our planes. To avoid conflicts as much as we can, we have kept the maximum restraint on the US behavior and managed to keep a proper space and altitude with the US plane. Irrefutable facts prove that US spy plane has caused the missing of Wang Wei. There is no way for the US to absolve itself of its spy plane's responsibility for bumping Chinese fighter jet and intrusion into China's airspace. **** Chinese Continue Slamming US Hegemonism People in various parts of China are continuing to condemn the US hegemonistic activities concerning the mid-air collision in which a US surveillance plane destroyed a Chinese fighter jet. In Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, south China, local universities held symposiums to discuss and criticize US hegemonism. Teachers and students showed enormous concern over the life of the missing Chinese pilot. "The present attitude of the US government is unacceptable for us," said Zhou Haiyin, vice chairman of the Student Union of Zhongshan University. The US government has once again severely hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and "we want apologies and necessary compensation from the United States," Zhou said. In Nanjing, the provincial capital of Jiangsu Province, east China, international law experts from Nanjing University pointed out that the US military plane's invasion into Chinese airspace and landing at a Chinese airport without approval from the Chinese government is against international law. Liu Lexin, a businessman from Guiyang, the provincial capital of Guizhou Province, southwest China, questioned the whereabouts of American "democracy and human rights," when a Chinese pilot is missing after the collision caused by the US surveillance plane. **** China Better Protects Economic, Social, Cultural Rights of Citizens China has made more efforts and achieved new progress in protecting the economic, social and cultural rights of citizens, says a white paper issued Monday. The white paper, namely "Progress in China's Human Rights Cause in 2000", was released by the Information Office of the State Council. The paper says that by the end of last year, employees in the country totaled more than 710 million, an increase of 5.64 million over the previous year. Some 3.61 million workers laid off by State-owned enterprises found new jobs. The Chinese government launched a three-year program last year to better solve the employment of rural labor, which includes overall planning of urban and rural employment since 2000, retraining rural workers, promoting employment of rural labor force in the western areas, and encouraging migrant workers to start their own businesses in their home villages. The white paper says that the government guarantees workers' right to get payment for labor and increase of wage. The wages of workers in cities and towns totaled 8,346 yuan per capita in 1999, up by 13.1 percent compared with that of the previous year, allowing for price fluctuations. All provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, except Tibet, have established and improved a minimum-wage guarantee system by the end of last year. The white paper says that China has basically established a social security system which covers basic pension insurance, basic medical insurance and unemployment insurance for workers in cities and towns. The government also upgraded the level of basic living guarantee for laid-off workers from State-owned enterprises, level of unemployment insurance, and the level of minimum standard of living for urban residents. The government has increased substantially expenditure of social security in 2000. The central finance alone paid 47.8 billion yuan, a growth of 86 percent over 1999. The white paper says that China has increased investment in education to create more favorable climate for citizens to exercise their right to receive education. The education funds have increased at an average annual rate of 15.56 percent during the past five years, higher than the growth rate of the national economy. China has basically ensured a nine-year compulsory education for children and eliminated illiteracy among people who were born since 1949. In China, more than 90 percent of its 1.2 billion people have accesses to radio and TV broadcasting. China has the largest number of cable television users among all countries, which amounts to 79.2 million. China has established a three-dimensional communications network, which is the second largest one in the world, linking the whole country with the rest of the world. The Internet surfers have risen to over 22.5 million from 10,000 in 1994, when China joined the Internet network. Currently China has more than 27,300 websites. **** China Issues White Paper on Human Rights The Information Office of the State Council issued Monday, April 9, a white paper on human rights, elaborating the achievements China scored in its human rights cause during the past year. The white paper, entitled "Progress in China's Human Rights Cause in 2000", says that the year 2000 marked a milestone in China's march to modernization, as the country witnessed both sound economic performance and continued advance in its human rights cause. In 2000, implementation of the Ninth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development was successfully completed, the development of the western region got off to a good start, the economy developed in a healthy way, democracy and the legal system were continuously strengthened, and the human rights situation maintained a good momentum of development. The white paper says that the Chinese government continued to improve people's access to subsistence and development by developing the economy and enhancing the comprehensive national strength. China rid itself completely of the influence of the Asian financial crisis in 2000 as its national economy growth rate apparently increased. The gross domestic product (GDP) of China surpassed 1000 billion U.S. dollars for the first time, reaching 8, 940.4 billion yuan. The GDP per capita exceeded 800 U.S. dollars, a symbol of realizing the second-step strategic goal set for China 's modernization drive. The white paper notes that the income of urban and rural residents has gone up steadily, and their standards of living have continued to improve. People across the country as a whole are living a relatively well-off life. The Engel's coefficient, indicating the proportion of food expenditure in the total consumption expenditures, was about 40 percent for urban residents and about 50 percent for rural residents last year, down nearly 10 percentage points and 8 percentage points respectively over those of 1995. The decrease shows that the life quality of people is further upgraded. While improving the people's living standards across the board, the Chinese government has attached great importance to ensuring that people from poverty-stricken areas have enough to eat and wear, says the white paper. A systematic and large-scale poverty elimination drive initiated by the Chinese government has been going on since China started reform and opening up to the outside world in the late 1970s. The rate of those in poverty among rural people has dropped to around 3 percent from 30.7 percent in 1978, forming a sharp contrast with the increase of absolutely poverty-stricken population in the rest of the world. The United Nations Development Program holds that China's aid- the-poor efforts in a development-oriented way have provided a model for other developing countries, and even for the whole world. On the guarantee of citizens' political rights, the white paper notes that the system of people's congress is a fundamental political system in China, in which all power in China belongs to the people and the people exercise State power through the National People's Congress (NPC) and the local people's congresses. At the Fourth Session of the Ninth NPC held in March, 2001, the deputies put forward 1,040 proposals, a record high since 1983 when the first session of the Sixth NPC was convened. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top advisory body of the Chinese government, actively participated in the deliberation and administration of State affairs in 2000. The CPPCC National Committee submitted more than 10 reports to the decision-makers on mapping out the Tenth Five- Year Plan (2001-2005). It also raised many opinions and suggestions, which served as important reference, on issues such as speeding up the project of diverting water from the south to the north, perfecting the social security system, and further reform of the judicial system. The white paper says that building democratic politics at the grassroots level in rural China has been promoted in an all-round way and developed steadily. The villagers' committees in 27 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities have been re-elected since the revised Organic Law of the Villagers' Committees was enforced in 1998. About 600 million farmers took part in the direct election of their village heads, accounting for a vote rate of more than 80 percent. Meanwhile remarkable progress has been made in the building of democratic politics at the township level. The practice of making public the township political affairs has been promoted nationwide. About 35,000 townships, or over 80 percent of the total townships in China, have made public their political affairs. On judicial guarantee for human rights, the white paper notes that China pays much attention to safeguarding human rights through perfecting legislation, ensuring an impartial judicature and strictly enforcing the law. It says in 2000, the public security and judicial organs cracked down on gang-related crimes and crimes involving guns and explosives. They also punished, according to law, a handful of criminals who caused deaths or gathered people to upset the public order by organizing and using the "Falun Gong" cult, effectively safeguarding social stability and people's lives and property. The Supreme People's Court formulated in July 2000 the Regulations on Providing Judicial Assistance for Litigants Actually in Financial Difficulty, in an effort to guarantee that poor people can exercise their legal litigation rights. Litigants of more than 190,000 cases across country therefore were allowed to have their payment of litigation costs postponed, reduced or remitted. The Chinese government made more efforts in 2000 to further protect the economic, social and cultural rights of citizens. According to statistics, employees in China totaled more than 710 million by the end of 2000, an increase of 5.64 million over the previous year. China has basically established a social security system, mainly covering basic pension insurance, basic medical insurance and unemployment insurance for workers in cities and towns. China has virtually made nine-year compulsory education universal across the country, and eliminated illiteracy among people who were born since 1949. The number of Internet users in China has skyrocketed to more than 22.5 million from 10,000 in 1994, when China joined the Internet network. The white paper says that the number of women employed has grown continuously, women's education level has risen further and women's health improved, too. In order to curb domestic violence, bigamy and taking concubines, perfect family property system and protect women's rights in marriage and the family, the NPC encouraged people of all walks of life to do research for a revision of the Marriage Law, and publicized the draft amendments in January, 2001 for public discussions. Chinese children's rights are effectively protected as well. The child mortality rate dropped by one third and the rate of malnutrition among children fell by 50 percent over the 1990 figures. A program for the safe and healthy development of Chinese children was launched in October, 2000, aimed at forging a healthy social climate for children, helping them stay away from dropout, disease, injury and crime. The white paper notes that in China, ethnic minorities enjoy not only all citizens' rights entitled by the Constitution and laws as the Han people do, but also some special rights stipulated by laws for ethnic minorities. The Standing Committee of the Ninth NPC made amendments to the Law Governing Regional Ethnic Autonomy in February, 2001, upgrading the system of regional ethnic autonomy as part of the basic political system of China. The white paper says that the decision further strengthened the legal guarantee of autonomy in the autonomous areas. While implementing the system of regional ethnic autonomy, the central government assists the economic and social development of these areas by providing funds, technology, and professionals. The white paper notes that the GDP of the autonomous regions increased by 8.1 percent in 2000, surpassing that of the national average for the fourth consecutive year. Besides, the State made effective efforts in supporting ethnic minority areas in developing education, ensuring the ethnic minorities can use and develop their own languages, respecting and protecting their religious beliefs, traditional customs and cultures. The campaign of developing the west where ethnic minorities are concentrated will forcefully promote economic and social development in these areas and the full realization of the equal rights of ethnic minorities. The white paper says that the Chinese government always respects the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations for promoting and protecting human rights, supports the UN efforts in this regard and actively participates in the UN activities in the realm of human rights. The Ninth NPC Standing Committee ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in February, 2001. The white paper says this fully demonstrates the Chinese government's positive attitude toward carrying out international cooperation in human rights as well as China's firm determination and confidence in promoting and protecting human rights. The white paper notes in the end that the progress of human rights is an important aspect of the social development of all countries. It is a historical process of continuous advance. In the light of China's national conditions and according to people's wishes, and with the aim of building a democratic, modernized country with advanced culture and under the rule of law, the Chinese government will accelerate development and continuously push forward the development of human rights cause in China while maintaining social stability. The 14,000-word white paper consists of seven parts, namely, the improvement of the people's rights to subsistence and development; the guarantee of citizens' political rights; judicial guarantee for human rights; the economic, social and cultural rights of citizens; protection of women and children's rights; equal rights and special protection for ethnic minorities; and actively carrying out international exchanges and cooperation in the realm of human rights. **** S.Korea, Russia Agree to Cooperate in Oil, Gas Development South Korea and Russia Monday agreed to cooperate in the future development of petroleum and natural gas in Siberia, Russia. The agreement was reached at the fourth South Korea-Russia resource cooperation committee meeting. Both nations agreed to cooperate in developing gas fields in Irkutsk and resources in the Yurubcheno-Tokhomskaya region. The two nations, along with China, will complete ongoing profitability and feasibility studies of an Irkutsk gas field by the first half of next year and look into the possibility of laying a gas pipeline through the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. At the meeting, Russia suggested that South Korean companies take part in international bids for oil and gas development projects on Sakhalin Island, and South Korea gave a positive response. This meeting marked the most substantial progress since Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Seoul in February, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
