Extracts. Article Slams US for Backing Dalai's Separatist Activities The Human Rights Society of China (HRSC) Friday slammed the United States for its support of Dalai clique's separatist activities and interference in China's internal affairs. Facts demonstrate that the Dalai Lama has become a tool of the US to "contain" China, says the HRSC in an article titled " Looking into US Support for Dalai Clique's Separatist Activities ". With the support of the anti-China forces in the United States and other western countries, the Dalai clique has stepped up efforts to split Tibet from the motherland. The Chinese people are strongly indignant at the separatist moves, says the article. **** Peaceful Reunification of Taiwan a Sacred Mission: Vice-premier Chinese Vice-premier Qian Qichen said Thursday that an early solution to the Taiwan issue to accomplish the reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration and a sacred mission of the whole Chinese people. Qian made the remarks while addressing a three-day meeting on publicity work on Taiwan. Qian stressed it is important to let Taiwan people better know the policy of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" and the eight-point proposition put forward by President Jiang Zemin. The vice-premier pointed out that the one-China principle must be adhered to. There is only one China in the world and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China can not be divided, Qian noted. The vice premier hopes that Party committees and governments at all levels do a better job in publicity work on Taiwan so as to make contributions to helping solve the Taiwan issue at an earlier date. **** China Firmly Opposes US Leaders' Meetings with Dalai Lama China firmly opposes the US permitting the Dalai Lama's visit to the US and the US leaders' meetings with him, Chinese Foreign Ministry <http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/> spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Thursday. Zhu said at a regular press conference that Tibet <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/tibet.html> is part of China and the acts by the US have violated international norms, dishonored its own solemn commitments and interfered in China's internal affairs. China has lodged solemn representations with the US on the issue and demanded that the US abide by the international norms, correct its wrong-doings and put an end to such interference. **** US Spy Plane to Be Disassembled and Returned, FM China has agreed to a US proposal that the US reconnaissance plane in Hainan be disassembled and shipped to the United States, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao Thursday. The US plane bumped into and crashed a Chinese military plane near China's coast and landed at an airport in South China's Hainan Island on April 1. **** Spain Expresses Reservations About US Anti-Missile Shield Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Miguel Nadal announced Wednesday that he will travel to Washington next week to get more information on the anti- missile shield project proposed by the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> . Nadal said before the Spanish Congress that the U.S. should not start this defense project without taking into account the related security issues of Russia <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> and China. A special think tank has been created in the foreign and defense ministries of Spain <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/spain.html> to analyze the effects of the U.S. initiative, he said. The senior official said the U.S. has not consulted with its European allies except to inform some European Union (EU) member countries "more directly affected" by the defense scheme. Spain does not know the details of the U.S. initiative and considers it a positive sign that Washington has shown willingness to have more dialogue with its allies, he said. Nadal also emphasized that "this dialogue could take a long time" and expressed at the same time his interest to study the Russian proposal to create a pan-European anti-missile system within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. **** Chinese, S.Korean Top Legislators Meet in Seoul Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) said in Seoul Thursday that China would like to see early resumption of dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. Li made the remarks when he met South Korean National Assembly (parliament) Speaker Lee Man-sup Thursday morning. At the meeting, Li spoke highly of the positive changes on the Korean Peninsula after the historic inter-Korean summit between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang last June. As DPRK and South Korea are playing a major role in the Korean peninsula affairs, Li said, the eventual resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue depends on dialogue and cooperation between the two sides. As long as the two sides continue to improve their relations, the trend of relaxation of tension on the Korean Peninsula will be irreversible, the Chinese leader said. The relaxation of tension on the Korean Peninsula is in the common interest of the people of the two sides, said Li, who arrived here for a five-day official goodwill visit at the invitation of Lee Man-sup. As a close and friendly neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, Li stressed, China has all along been committed to maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula in the hope that the hard-won relaxation process on the Peninsula will sustain and continue to develop. On the bilateral relations, Li emphasized that he was very satisfied with the development of the Chinese-South Korean ties. Thanks to the joint efforts of the two sides, great achievements have been made in all fields between China and South Korea since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, said Li, who visited South Korea in 1994 as China's premier. In 1998, the two nations established a cooperative partnership oriented towards the 21 century and agreed last year to push the partnership to a new stage featuring all-round cooperation, he said. The development of the Sino-South Korean cooperative partnership has not only brought about real interests to the two countries and two peoples, but also contributed to peace and stability and development in the region, said the NPC chairman. "China will firmly support the South and North of the Korean Peninsula to improve and develop their relations through dialogue and will firmly support the ultimate goal of independence and peaceful reunification of the Peninsula," said the Chinese top legislator. On his part, Lee commended China's very important role in the reconciliation process.He expressed his hope that China will continue to play its important role in achieving peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and in the realization of independence and peaceful reunification of the Peninsula. In their talks, the Chinese and South Korean leaders asked the new U.S. government to play its constructive role in the reconciliation process of the Korean Peninsula. They also urged Japan to hear the just demand of China and South Korea and commit itself to telling the truth about its history. During his five-day visit, Li is also scheduled to meet South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, Prime Minister Lee Han-dong and other political and business leaders. South Korea is the last leg of the NPC chairman's three-nation Asian trip, which has already taken him to Cambodia and Brunei. **** Chinese, Venezuelan Presidents Hold Talks Chinese President Jiang Zemin said Thursday that China attaches importance to its economic relations with Venezuela and is willing to cooperate with Venezuela in various areas on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. In talks with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias, Jiang said that China holds a positive attitude towards formulating a ten-year plan of cooperation between the two countries. He said relevant departments are studying the two countries' cooperation in agriculture and energy. Jiang said that during his visit to Venezuela in April, the two countries signed eight agreements of cooperation covering political, economic and trade and science and technological areas. The two sides reached a consensus on the development of bilateral relations and defined the two countries' strategic partnership for common development in the new century, he said. He said that the two countries will set up a high-level mixed committee, which will soon hold its first meeting to explore the overall development of bilateral relations. The active follow-up actions in only more than a month by both sides have demonstrated their strong desire to strengthen their friendly cooperation, Jiang said. Jiang said that bilateral trade and economic cooperation have been progressing well, adding that bilateral trade reached 351 million U.S. dollars last year, up 86 percent from the previous year. The figure set a new record, he said. Venezuela has become the biggest target country of Chinese investment in the Latin-America region, Jiang added. The Chinese government attaches importance to its economic and trade relations with Venezuela and is willing to conduct multi- channel cooperation in various forms with Venezuela on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, Jiang said. On the international situation, Jiang said that the process of multi-polarization will be a tortuous and long one, but it is an irreversible historical trend, he said. While globalization has promoted world economic development, it has also further widened the gap between the rich and the poor worldwide, Jiang said. The international community now faces the issue of how to reduce the gap and realize balanced development, Jiang said. He said that China, Venezuela and other developing countries are faced with the common task of peace and development. He said that it is important for the Chinese and Venezuelan people to carry out cooperation in the economic and trade, science and technological areas in a down-to-earth manner and step by step. Chavez said Jiang's visit to his country in April was a success, which shows both countries attach great importance to their relations of friend cooperation. The agreements signed between the two sides also show their relations are being strengthened, he said. Prior to the talks, Jiang hosted a welcome ceremony for Chavez. After the talks, the two heads of state attended the signing ceremony of six documents on bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, energy, science and technology, information, and gold mining. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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