Extracts. US reviewing all contacts with China US President George W. Bush has ordered a review of all US government contacts with China following an 11-day spy plane standoff that strained relations, a White House spokesman said. After Bush signaled the review on Thursday, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Friday the president had directed the departments of defense and state and other agencies engaged with China to "take a look case by case" at their contacts with Beijing. Secretary of State Colin Powell will evaluate contacts at his department, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will review contacts in other agencies. Fleischer said the goal was "to make a determination on a case-by-case basis about which of those contacts are the most positive and productive for the United States and which may not be." Officials described it as a relatively informal process and contacts that would be under review would be whether U.S. officials had any meetings with Chinese officials planned or whether they planned to attend any conferences in China. "It's not business as usual yet with China," said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Bush had signaled the review on Thursday when asked about the decision to look at U.S.-Chinese military contacts. "We're going to review all opportunities to interface with the Chinese," Bush told reporters. "And if it enhances our relationship, it might make sense. If it's a useless exercise, and it doesn't make the relationship any better, then we won't do that." US-Chinese relations have been strained by an 11-day standoff after a US spy made an emergency landing in China and by Bush's pledge to defend Taiwan. **** Religious Leaders Protest against US Report Leaders of China's five national religious groups Saturday protested vigorously against a United States report on international religious affairs, which criticized religious freedom in China, and the country's effort to ban the evil cult Falungong. They said the China-related part of the 2001 annual report released on May 1 by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom "distorted facts with ulterior motives" and are completely unacceptable to them. Fu Tieshan, chairman of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, said Catholic followers in China enjoy freedom of religion. He described the US report as a sheer fabrication and an attempt to call white black, which violates the basic norms of international relations and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs. "There is no way that religious figures like us would accept it, " he said. On the Falungong cult, Fu said it is not a religion at all but an evil cult that is against the human being, science and society. He went on to say that by attempting to speak for such a cult, the US aims to take advantage of the cult to destabilize China and hinder its economic development. Yu Xinli, deputy-president of the China Christian Council, said Chinese Christians are firmly opposed to the Falungong cult, and " people in China do enjoy freedom of religion." "Today in China, Chinese Christians enjoy the freedom to conduct religious activities -- it serves as a good example of how good the situation is." Yu accused the hegemonism of the United States of being "the source of all evils" of the world, referring to the recent wars the US has launched around the world, its attempts to revise the Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty, and reject the Kyoto protocol designed by the world community to fight global warming by curbing greenhouse gas emissions. "The way they interfere in other country's internal affairs is outrageous," said Yu. Zhang Jiyu, deputy-president of China Taoist Association, expressed his indignation about the US report. "The report went so far as to treat the evil cult Falungong, rejected in disgust by the Chinese religious circles and the Chinese people, as a religion," said Zhang. "The report also described China's legitimate ban of such an evil cult, and efforts to educate and save practitioners of the cult as acts of suppression." "Falungong is not a religion, and Li Hongzhi, leader of the cult, has long made it clear time and again," he said. "We are wondering how it has turned into a religious group in the US" Chen Guangyuan, president of the Islamic Association of China, said the US report is full of distortion and fabrication. "It has ulterior motives and the way they fabricated the report is despicable," he said. "As the president of the Islamic Association of China, I lodge my strong protest against the report. It is a responsible, reasonable, legitimate and popular move taken by the Chinese government to ban the evil cut, but some Americans are making a rather big fuss about China's efforts to remove the cancer." Dao Shuren, deputy president of the Buddhist Association of China, said the United States adopts double standards on human rights and religious issues in a bid to defame China and interfere in China's internal affairs. "Buddhism stresses comeuppance -- goodness necessitates a sharing of itself, sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." Referring to United States' recent failure to retain its seat at the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Dao said its a comeuppance for the United States for its wrongdoings. Qoxi, deputy president of the China Advanced Institute of Tibetan Buddhism, said the attack by the US report on China's " right policies on freedom of religion and evil cults" constitutes again a gross interference in China's international affairs. "The report went so far as to treat the evil cult Falungong, rejected in disgust by the Chinese religious circles and the Chinese people, as a religion," said Zhang. "The report also described China's legitimate ban of such an evil cult, and efforts to educate and save practitioners of the cult as acts of suppression." "Falungong is not a religion, and Li Hongzhi, leader of the cult, has long made it clear time and again," he said. "We are wondering how it has turned into a religious group in the US" Chen Guangyuan, president of the Islamic Association of China, said the US report is full of distortion and fabrication. "It has ulterior motives and the way they fabricated the report is despicable," he said. "As the president of the Islamic Association of China, I lodge my strong protest against the report. It is a responsible, reasonable, legitimate and popular move taken by the Chinese government to ban the evil cut, but some Americans are making a rather big fuss about China's efforts to remove the cancer." Dao Shuren, deputy president of the Buddhist Association of China, said the United States adopts double standards on human rights and religious issues in a bid to defame China and interfere in China's internal affairs. "Buddhism stresses comeuppance -- goodness necessitates a sharing of itself, sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." Referring to United States' recent failure to retain its seat at the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Dao said its a comeuppance for the United States for its wrongdoings. Qoxi, deputy president of the China Advanced Institute of Tibetan Buddhism, said the attack by the US report on China's " right policies on freedom of religion and evil cults" constitutes again a gross interference in China's international affairs. **** Int'l Help-the-poor & Environment Seminar Opens The International Help-the-Poor and Environmental Protection Seminar opened in this capital city of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region Friday. More than 40 experts from a dozen countries including Japan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, India and China attended the four-day seminar. Addressing the opening ceremony, Gyabochi, vice-chairman of the Tibetan regional government, praised the correct leadership of the central government and the support that came from other Chinese provinces. Because of this, the poverty-stricken population in Tibet has dropped from 480,000 in early 1990s to the present 70, 000. The annual per capita income of farmers and herdsmen in poor areas has climbed to 1,316 yuan, approaching the region's average income. Gyabochi attributed the poverty to a fragile environment and adverse circumstances in the region. A UN official said Tibet has achieved marked progress in helping the poor. It pays much attention to protecting the environment and traditional culture while giving hopes and dignity to the needy. Tibet being chosen as the venue for the seminar suggests that the experience of Tibet should be popularized in other parts of the world. **** Young People Encouraged to be Bold in Creation -Hu Jintao, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee extended cordial greetings to young people of all nationalities in China on the occasion of the historically significant May 4th Movement anniversary. During his visit to the Beijing Nonferrous Metal Research Institute on Friday, he said China's younger generation will shoulder the heavy task of promoting the progress of science and technology. He urged young scientists and technicians to have a strong sense of responsibility, integrate their lofty ideals with the future of the nation, study hard, be bold in creation and dare to scale the heights of science. Hu, who is also vice-president of China, called on Party committees and governments at all levels to attach great importance to the training and making use of young scientists and technicians. **** Ghanaian President Appeals For More Investment From China Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor Friday appealed to China to encourage investments and joint ventures in his country in a bid to support its economic development. "We want to add value to what we produce and sell and we count on China to encourage investments and joint ventures to facilitate the transfer of technology to Ghana," Kufuor said when he received Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Lu Yongshou at the State House. The Sino-Ghanaian relationship has been deepening since the two countries established diplomatic relations in July 1960, the president said, stressing that he is hopeful China is capable of helping Ghana. "We want such nations with knowledge in science and technology to help us develop on the basis of humanity. We do not want to feel that our big friends want to keep we, the smaller ones, down, " he said. On the same occasion, Chinese Ambassador Lu said China is committed to a dynamic partnership with Africa by strengthening cooperation in politics, economy, science and education. The Chinese ambassador said China will improve on its development support to Africa, which stood at 3 billion U.S. dollars by the year 2000. Out of the amount, 30 million dollars had been spent on water and electricity projects for 106 Ghanaian communities. Commending Ghana for its role in promoting world peace and stability, Lu further said China has decided to support the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian-born diplomat, in his bid for re-election. **** Arafat in Zimbabwe Seeking Support for New Peace Initiatives Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat Friday urged Israel <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/israel.html> to honor initiatives by Egypt <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/egypt.html> and Jordan <http://web3.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/jordan.html> in order to bring peace to the turbulent Middle East. After holding talks here with Zimbabwe <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/zimbabwe.html> an President Robert Mugabe on the situation in the Middle East region, Arafat said that the peace initiatives have been accepted by international leaders. "I was discussing with President Mugabe on how much we have suffered as Israel destroys our cities, homes and villages," he said. "They are uprooting our olives trees which were planted more than 100 years ago and they are destroying some Muslim shrines," he said. Arafat said the Jordan-Egypt peace initiative will end the seven-month conflict between Israel and Palestine because it has been accepted by major powers such as the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> , Russia <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> , European Union and Arab countries. Arafat arrived here from South Africa <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/southAfrica.html> on Thursday night, where he attended a special meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Committee on Palestine. At least 402 Palestinians, 13 Israeli Arabs and 76 Israelis have been killed in clashes between the Palestinians and Israelis in the past seven months, according to reports. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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