Extracts.
China Once Again Demands Japan Correct Mistakes in Textbook
The Chinese side has once again demanded that the Japanese government take
effective measures to correct its serious mistakes in the history textbook
fabricated by rightist scholars.
An official from the Chinese Foreign Ministry called in an official of the
Japanese embassy here Wednesday at the request of the Chinese government,
and submitted a memorandum on the textbook issue.
The Chinese diplomat pointed out that the history textbook compiled by
Japanese rightist scholars advocates imperialism, and whitewashes and denies
Japan's history of aggression. And this textbook still contains serious
mistakes despite 137 revisions, said the diplomat.
"Instead of reflecting on the war of aggression launched by Japanese
militarists, the textbook, through history-distorting facts, tries to deny
the aggressive nature of the war, mentioning only lightly and even trying to
conceal the crimes committed by its militarists," the official said.
"This will seriously mislead Japanese society and the younger generation in
their viewpoint on history," he added.
Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed explicitly the principled stand
of the Chinese side to Japanese Ambassador Koreshige Anami, and pointed out
the major mistakes in the textbook. The Chinese side has been demanding that
the Japanese side correct its mistakes and translate into action its solemn
statement of "facing up to history and reflecting on its aggression".
The Chinese diplomat said Chinese historians started a careful study of the
textbook as soon as it was given approval by the Japanese government. They
are now able to reconfirm a series of falsehoods in it, such as its attempts
to shirk responsibility for launching a war of invasion against China,
glorify the colonial rule of the Japanese militarists in northeast China,
conceal the historical facts of the Nanjing Massacre and attack the just
sentence passed on the Japanese war criminals by the Far East International
Tribunal.
All these points are included in the memorandum handed in by the Chinese
side Wednesday, said the official, who repeated the demand that the Japanese
side should take seriously China's demand with an attitude responsible for
history.
****
Senior Party Official Calls for Emphasis on Working Class
A Senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Wednesday called on
Party officials to give full respect to and forge close ties with the
working class.
Wei Jianxing, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of
the CPC Central Committee, made the remark when meeting with Party officials
from north China's Shanxi Province who are attending a training program at
the Chinese Workers' Movement Institute.
Implementation of the CPC's basic policy to wholeheartedly rely on the
working class is the task of the whole Party, the official said.
Officials at all levels should adhere to the policy, he noted. It is a must
to endear relations with the working class, pay close concern to workers'
needs, solve practical problems for them and protect their legal rights
interests.
The workers' unions are the bridge linking the working class and the Party,
he said, adding that the unions play an important role in carrying out this
policy.
Local Party officials should spare no efforts to support the work of
workers' unions and rally the working class closely around the Party through
the unions, he said.
****
Enhanced US War Games in Asia-Pacific Reflects Shift of Strategic Focus
In a rare scene in many years, the United States is now simultaneously
conducting three large-scale military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region
under a common framework, which could suggest a shift of its strategic focus
from Europe to Asia, local analysts said.
At a grandiose ceremony Tuesday morning at the Thai military airport of
Phisanulok province, 377 kilometers north of Bangkok, US Ambassador to
Thailand Richard Hecklinger and the Supreme Commander of Thai Armed Forces
Sampao Choosri, with the presence of Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Pacific
Command Dennis Blair and other high-ranking military officials, co-announced
the opening of the Cobra Gold' 01 Multilateral Military Exercise.
"This is the first Cobra Gold to be part of the multilateral Team Challenge
concept, which links existing exercises with Australia, Thailand and the
Philippines-- Tandem Thrust, Cobra Gold and Balikataan -- to improve
readiness and interoperability among our forces, and to increase security
within the Asia-Pacific region," said Hecklinger in his opening speech.
The combined Team Challenge umbrella exercise, he said, also preserves the
core bilateral training components of these individual exercises between US
and the hosting countries.
This, in his view, is "an important way that the US can demonstrate its
strong commitment to allies and friends in the region."
Earlier, the US military has launched a three-week-long Balikatan ("shoulder
by shoulder") exercise in six regions of the Philippines since April 27,
which involved over 6,000 soldiers from both countries. The Balikatan
resumed in 1999 after being suspended for three years.
In Australia's northeast Shoalwater Bay, the four-yearly TandemThrust
exercise is going on, with participation of some 27,00 0 Australian and U.S.
military personnel, tanks, artillery, aircraft and warships, in a
rarely-seen large-scale operations in the western Pacific during recent
years.
Under the multilateral framework of Team Challenge, the three separate
exercises are to be linked in the U.S.-led training of maritime, air and
army forces, said a local U.S. diplomatic source.
Among these three exercises, the Cobra Gold is featured by its tendency to
develop into a broad multilateral war games.
Started in 1982, Cobra Gold has long been a bilateral military operation
between Thailand and U.S. until Singapore joined in last year, when its
scale reached the peak of mobilizing over 20,000 personnel.
This year, some 10,848 recruits will do the mock battle between May 15 and
29 in Thailand's western Third Army Area, in which Thailand, U.S. and
Singapore send 5,820, 4,973 and 55 soldiers respectively.
Blair, the U.S. commander-in-chief in Pacific indicated at the press
conference after Tuesday's opening ceremony that his country hopes to
enlarge the exercise and attract more countries to participate.
He noted that the number of observer countries has increased from three to
nine this year, including the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia,
South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and France.
"The enlargement of the exercise is in the interests of all countries, and
is for the future stability in the region, " said the U.S. admiral.
Echoing the rhetoric, a newly-released Pentagon-sponsored study recommended
U.S. to create new arrangements in Southeast Asia to give the U.S. military
access to ports and airfields that could be used in times of crisis, while
maintaining traditional military ties to Japan and South Korea.
As local analysts noticed, the enhanced exercises in Asia-Pacific and the
idea of strengthening U.S. military ties with its Asian allies, happened at
a time when the new U.S. government is reviewing its military priorities and
programs.
The U.S. defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who is reportedly seeking final
approval of his military plans from president Bush, has outlined a broad
shift from planning for a major war in Europe-- which dominated U.S. defense
thinking before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991-- toward more
emphasis on Asia.
A U.S. army officer told Xinhua at the scene of Cobra Gold opening ceremony
that so far this year U.S. has held over seventy military exercises in the
Asia-Pacific, much of them are large-scaled.
Local analysts said a striking feature of the recent US military activities
is that it holds various kinds of war games with countries in Asia-Pacific
more frequently, with upgraded scales and influences.
The recent shifting of military focus from west toward east reflects a U.S.
objective to better control the situations in both European and Asian
continents, and it is driven by its great economic, strategic and military
interests in the Asia-Pacific region, said analysts.
****
90% Taiwanese for Direct Flight Across Straits: Survey
According to the result of a survey conducted by "China Taiwanese Merchants
Development Promotion Commission" that as high as 90 percent of interviewed
Taiwanese approve of the direct flight under the precondition of Taiwan's
safety being guaranteed, and 48 percent think the sooner, the better.
Chang Hsiao-yen, director of the commission made this remark at a news
conference on the morning of May 15.
The survey result shows only 7.76 percent of the interviewed hold an
opposite view, and 83. 4 percent agree that the direct flight is beneficial
to consultation, reducing hostility and promoting communications across the
Straits.
The survey also shows that 57.9 percent of the interviewed propose that the
direct navigation between the mainland and Taiwan Island should be achieved
through the negotiation of non-governmental organizations and should follow
the model of Hong Kong and Macao.
According to Wang Zuorong (Chinese spelling), a former president of the
"Control Yuan" present at the conference, the direct flight should be
launched immediately in consideration of the interests of all the Chinese
people. It's the first step and a key step as well, for the overall economic
interchanges between the two sides. The overall economic interchanges will
lead to an integrated economy and government as differences gradually
diminish and finally die out, he said.
The former president also indicated that the high-tech industries of Taiwan
must be linked up with the economy of the mainland as the latter itself is a
big market, and only by doing so could the industry in Taiwan be able to
compete in the international market.
He stressed that while Taiwan is facing at three major problems, namely
economic transition, economic bubble and global recession of economy.
The��three direct links�� and economic communications across the Straits
appear to be more urgent and necessary, otherwise the people in Taiwan will
be confronted with a hard life in the coming 10 years.
****
UN Puts on Hold More Humanitarian Contracts Signed by Iraq
The United Nations Security Council committee monitoring the sanctions
against Iraq has placed more humanitarian contracts on hold than it
released, according to statistics released Tuesday by the UN office running
the oil-for- food program.
The Office of the Iraq program reported that during the week leading up to
May 11, the UN Security Council committee on Iraq released 24 contracts
valued at 42 million US dollars.
During the same period, the committee placed on hold another 24 contracts
valued at 238.4 million US dollars, bring the total value of held contracts
to some 3.7 billion US dollars. The sharp increase was largely attributed to
a single contract in the electricity sector valued at 147 million U.S.
dollars, according to the report.
The office report said that members of the UN committee often site the lack
of technical specifications and potential dual use as reasons for placing a
contract on hold. The new "holds" placed this week included contracts for
diesel locomotives, FM radio transmitters, water pumps, generators and
laboratory equipment, according to the report.
Those released covered the purchase of buses, firefighting equipment, raw
materials for the production various medicines, trailer trucks and
excavators.
Under the U.N. Security Council resolution establishing the oil- for-food
program, 66 percent of earning goes to fund the country's humanitarian needs
and 30 percent is directed to the compensation committee which pays claims
arising from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The remainder goes to pay the
costs of U.N. operations in the country.
Iraq has been under stringent sanctions ever since its 1990 invasion of
neighboring Kuwait.
Iraq has repeatedly demanded that the United Nations lift the stringent
sanctions, and accused the United States and Britain of impeding the
implementation of the oil-for-food program by putting on hold vital
contracts Iraq signed with foreign countries.
The oil-for-food deal, launched in late 1996, is now in its ninth phase
running from December 6 to June 3.
****
Falun Gong Claims Another Innocent Life
A man committed suicide by jumping from the 13th floor of a tall building in
Foshan City, Guangdong
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/guangdong.html> Province
and died on the spot May 15. It is told that the poor man was a Falun Gong
practitioner obsessed with the cult from Chongqing
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/chongqing.html> .
The tragedy points to the nature of Li Hongzhi's cult, telling people the
truth that Li's Falun Gong is a cult that claims people's lives.
The dead man, 73-year old, had been a villager of Qiaohe Village, Qijiang
County, Chongqing City, a retiree from a gear wheel factory in Qijiang. Last
November, he and his wife went on a visit to see their daughter and grandson
in Foshan and bedded down temporarily in building on Huayuan Street in the
city. Medical experts say the victim had jumped out of a window of a toilet
and striking hard on a platform on the fifth floor, died of skull fracture.
A note was found from the room of the dead man, saying " I was jailed in
Falun Gong prison, help me please." Some Falun Gong diary by his wife Xia
was also found in the room, she admitted that both she and her husband were
Falun Gong practitioners.
According to the old man's daughter, the dead man had suffered from many
diseases. In order to keep fit, to do away with his ailments, he began
pursuing the cult in 1999 till he became totally addicted to it. He often
locked himself up in his room practicing Falun Gong, but his illness never
got alleviated. In recent months, he often mooned around and finally ended
his life.
The dead man's wife is also Falun Gong obsessed. To prevent reoccurrence of
another tragedy she has been put under close care and helped to talk her
round to quit the cult.
****
Tibetan Eminent Monks Doubt Dalai Lama's Status as "Religious Leader"
"Is the Dalai Lama really the religious leader of Tibet and the spokesman
for Tibetan Buddhism?" queried accomplished lamas of major sects of Tibetan
Buddhism.
Dangyai, 73, an eminent lama of the Gelupa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, told
Xinhua that "We no longer enshrine the portrait of the Dalai at our
dormitories and no longer chant sutras praying for his longevity."
This is because the Dalai Lama does not devote himself whole-heartedly to
carrying forward Tibetan Buddhism, he said.
The 66-year-old 14th Dalai Lama is one of the major living Buddhas of the
Gelupa sect. He fled to India in 1959 and established a government-in-exile.
At the Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery, one of the six major Gelupa temples, Gaqin
Losangpuncog said, "The lamasery supported the peaceful liberation of Tibet
50 years ago. Betrayers of the motherland and the scum of the nation are not
welcome at the temple and the Dalai Lama is one of them."
In the 1980s, Gaqin won the Lha Ram Pa Gexe, the highest degree in lamaism
study.
He said, during the era of the Dalai Lama, it was terrific for a lama
dormitory to have one jin (0.5 kilograms) of ghee. But now, it is not rare
to have five to 10 kilograms. "Lamas love today's life," he added.
Tibetan Buddhism, with a history of more than 1,300 years, is divided into
four sects: Nyingmapa, Sakyapa, Kagyupa and Gelupa.
Each sect has its own idol. Lozhub Gyacog, a chief lama at the Sagya
Monastery of the Sakyapa sect, said that "the Dalai Lama was not the leader
of our sect in the past and he cannot be the idol of our sect today."
He added, "At least, the lamas at the Sagya Monastery will not agree to the
Dalai Lama's claim that he is the spokesman for Tibetan Buddhism."
Seven hundred years ago, the ancestors of the Sakyapa sect, who were regnant
in Tibet at that time, signed an agreement with the central authorities of
the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), which brought Tibet under the sovereignty of
China.
Lozhub Gyacog said, "I am astonished at the Dalai Lama's claim that Tibet
has never been a part of China."
Lamas of Sakyapa, Putoin and Gelupa sects live together in the Baiqoi
Monastery in Gyangze County of Tibet. Before the peaceful liberation of
Tibet in 1951, Lamas of the Gelupa sect initiated a ceremony during which
sutras were chanted for the longevity of the Dalai Lama.
The ceremony, which used to be a necessary procedure in the temple's
religious activities, has now been canceled.
Zunzhui, a lama of the Putoin sect at the temple, said that "currently, all
religious sects in the monastery treat each other with mutual respect and
fairness."
He recalled that 50 years ago, lamas of the Putoin sect had to pay
exorbitant taxes and levies to the Gelupa sect of the Dalai Lama, and do
hard labor.
The living standards of the temple's lamas have improved greatlytoday. The
state has invested more than two million yuan (241,000 U.S. dollars) to
repair the Baiqoi Monastery, and it has an annual income of more than
500,000 yuan.
The Curbo Monastery of the Gagyupa sect was the initiator of looking for the
reincarnated soul boy of living Buddhas. Abbot Chilai Wangjiu said the
Gagyupa lamas believe in their own living Buddha, but not the Dalai Lama.
Another eminent lama, Sangdaim Dunzhub, added, "I feel disgusted with the
Dalai Lama for his involvement in politics in the name of religion."
Legshin Tuomoi, the abbot of the Samye Monastery, said that the Dalai Lama
devotes much of his strength to matters beyond Tibetan Buddhism, "which goes
against harmony and peace."
The Samye Monastery was the first temple in Tibet and the birthplace of the
Nyingmapa sect of the Tibetan Buddhism.
Currently, Tibet has more than 1,700 monasteries and temples, with over
46,000 monks and nuns.
****
Jiang Zemin Meets Austrian President
Chinese President Jiang Zemin met Wednesday afternoon with visiting Austrian
President Thomas Klestil.
"We are satisfied with the smooth development of the relationship between
the two countries," Jiang said.
Jiang noted that the bilateral relationship has developed very well since
the two countries forged diplomatic ties 30 years ago. The history of trade
and economic relations between the two countries is even longer, he said.
Jiang said the two countries have carried out fruitful cooperation in
economy, trade and technology. Last year, trade between the two countries
hit 780 million U.S. dollars-worth, up 14 percent over the previous year.
Klestil said he has brought with him more than 80 entrepreneurs, who have
signed with their Chinese partners deals worth hundreds of millions of U.S.
dollars.
Jiang also exchanged views with his Austrian counterpart on the
international situation.
He said the process of political and economic multi- polarization is moving
at a faster pace, and people around the world strongly aspire for peace,
stability and development.
The development of political multi-polarization and economic globalization
is certain to be a trend, independent of men's will, he said.
He said the world is colorful, and uni-polarization is not conducive to
world peace and stability.
"The world is big and it is hard to believe that it could develop with only
one model," he said.
Jiang said China has always supported Europe's efforts to become stronger
through unity, and is keen to see Europe becoming a strong force in the
multi-polarization of the world and playing a greater role in international
affairs.
Klestil said he agreed with Jiang's remarks on the international situation,
noting that the European Union (EU) is dedicated to the integration process
and is becoming an important force in the multi-polarization of the world.
He noted that the EU will play an important part in international and
regional affairs.
The two sides also discussed the situation of other regions in the world.
Following the meeting, Jiang and Klestil had a photograph taken with a group
of Chinese and Austrian businessmen, and watched an Austrian musical
performance.
Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, Austria's Minister of Economics Martin
Bartenstein and other high-ranking officials from both sides were present at
the meeting.
Klestil arrived here Tuesday afternoon for a five-day working visit to China
as Jiang's guest.
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