Extracts. US Plane May Be Shipped Back After Disassembled: Spokesman China has agreed in principle for the United States to send a commercial An-124 cargo plane to transport back the EP-3 plane after it has been disassembled, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Monday. "The two sides are still holding negotiations on relevant technical details," Zhu said in a reply to a reporter, who sought comments on the progress of consultations between the Chinese and US sides on the issue of the EP-3 reconnaissance plane's return to home. Zhu said the two sides have maintained contact with each other on the issue of the return of the US plane. China, US Agree to Ship EP-3 Spy Plane Back on a Cargo Jumbo The United States and China have agreed to a deal "in principle" that would ship the damaged US Navy spy plane EP-3 home aboard a commercial cargo aircraft, officials from both sides said on May 28. However, the sides were "still working on the details and modalities," said a spokesman for the National Security Council. It was not yet known when the plane would leave or where it would be shipped to, the spokesman said, and added that discussions were ongoing. Earlier On May 28, a spokesman from China's foreign ministry said it would allow the United States "in principle" to send a Russian Antonov-124 to pick up the EP-3 advanced surveillance plane. But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao did not disclose when the two sides agreed to the deal. The announcement may signal the end of painstaking negotiations to end the standoff over the spy plane, which has been grounded at a Chinese air base on Hainan Island since April 1, when it collided with a Chinese fighter jet above the South China Sea. American officials have repeatedly said they want to repair the plane and fly it away, fearing that if it was dismantled, it would likely prevent the plane from being returned to duty. China repeatedly rejected the idea - even though visiting US technicians said the plane is possible to refly after a two-week-long repairing. Zhu Bangzao has once and again said flying the plane out would be "impossible". The ABC News in its latest online edition quoted some analysts as saying that by dismantling the plane, China would be able to humble the U.S. military and appease a "fiercely nationalistic public", who are outraged by an incident that killed a Chinese fighter pilot and the trouble-causing spy plane landing on a Chinese military airport without permission. Using a cargo plane to take out the EP-3E, which is about the size of a Boeing 737 passenger jet, may be a suitable compromise for both Washington and Beijing, the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News reported. At a press conference on Friday, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said his first choice would be to have the plane repaired and flown off Hainan Island. He also said: "The next choice is to disassemble it as little as possible. And that is to say you'd probably take the wings off and send a very large cargo plane in, put the fuselage in and then the wings either in that fuselage or in another one, and lift it out, so that it would - could be then reassembled." Last week, U.S. officials said they were looking at what was available in the charter market, but said some Chinese officials questioned whether the airfield on Hainan Island could accommodate such a large plane. "There's an issue as I understand it as to whether or not that runway would take the weight of a cargo plane that large," Rumsfeld said. "And the technical teams are discussing these things now, and that's the current status." Officials said the Chinese were amenable to a smaller plane - but that would involve further dismantling the plane to make it fit. **** Egypt, China See Broad Prospects for Cooperation On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/egypt.html> In April, Dr. Mohamed Noman Galal, Egyptian ambassador to China, enthusiastically had a free talk with Our Staff Reporters about friendship between the two peoples of Egypt and China, looked forward to the broad prospects for the development of Egypt-China economic and trade cooperation in the new century and pinned infinite hopes on the future development of the friendly and cooperative relations between Egypt and China. As he reviewed the long history of friendly exchanges between Egypt and China, the Ambassador traced to the remote years before the 6th century. During the Han (206 BC-220) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, the civilization of China was transmitted through the famous "Silk Road" into Europe and the world as a whole. What was most worthwhile for Egypt and China to take pride in was the fact that at the Bandung Conference in April 1955, the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and the late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai participated in and initiated the 10 Principles based on the well-known Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. On May 30, 1956 China and Egypt established diplomatic relations, Egypt was the first among Arab and African countries to recognize and establish diplomatic ties with China. For a long period of time, China and Egypt have understood and supported each other in international affairs, setting up an example for developing international ties among developing countries. The Ambassador said that Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> is an inalienable part of China, the Egyptian government has always pursued a one-China policy and supported the great cause of China's reunification. Egypt opposes certain countries which use the human right issue to interfere in the internal affairs of China and other countries, at the same time, it supports China's just struggle against power politics and hegemonism in international affairs. On the other hand, China also gives all-out support to Egypt's effort to push forward the Middle East peace process, and favors Egypt's stand for the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. Whether in war years or in peaceful times, the Egyptian people will always engrave in minds China's valuable support and assistance. In recent years, there have been frequent exchanges of visits by leaders of the two countries, in particular, the joint communique on the establishment of a strategic cooperative relationship oriented toward the 21st century, signed by President Mubarak during his China visit in 1999 with Chinese President Jiang Zemin <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/jiangzemin.shtml> , has laid a solid foundation for the further development of the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in the 21st century, marking a new milestone in the relations between the two countries. During Mubarak's visit in China, both sides signed cooperation agreements in the fields of economy, agriculture, tourism and ocean shipping. For many years, not only the political relations and friendly cooperation between China and Egypt can serve as a model, economic and trade cooperation has also experienced significant development. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, the two countries brought about a fairly great leap in their economic and trade relations in 2000. The total volume of trade between the two countries reached US$907 million. In the same year, the volume of Chinese investment in Egypt increased 40 percent. Since the launch of reform and opening up in China, Egypt has always concerned itself with the tremendous achievements gained in China's economic development, has paid attention to drawing on the successful experiences China accumulated in its reform and opening policy and particularly in the establishment of special economic zones. In 1997 during former Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzuri's visit to China, both sides signed an agreement, under which Egypt and China would jointly establish a special economic zone in the northwest region of the Suez. Currently, this plan for a special economic zone has entered the stage from blueprint to infrastructure construction. The Egyptian side hopes that the Suez special economic zone will become an immortal evidence of Egypt-China friendly cooperation. In order to more extensively attract foreign capital to develop the economy, the Egyptian government has offered a preferential policy for attracting capital and it expressed the particular hope that more Chinese enterprises and companies would come to invest in Egypt and develop industries. Egypt has gladly taken note of the fact that due to the influence of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Ministerial Conference Beijing <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/beijing.html> 2000, the Chinese government encourages enterprises interested in investing in Egypt, at the same time, Egypt also hopes that an Egypt trade and investment center will be built in China this year. As we look forward to the new century, we find that the prospect for the development of Chinese-Egyptian friendship is bright. The Ambassador has put forward many proposals of insight and feasibility. With a view to expanding bilateral economic and trade relations and understanding and contacts among entrepreneurs, he expressed the hope for the holding of various types of forums, increasing cooperation in different fields and expanding ways for the exchange of information, so as to create more opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the field economy, trade, science, technology, culture and journalism. The Ambassador predicted that there would be great progress in economic and trade cooperation between Egypt and China in the near future. This view of his is based on the following considerations: first, Chinese enterprises have begun to show interest in the petroleum, cotton and some other products of Egypt; second, the Egyptian government is adopting various measures to strive to expand the export of commodities; third, it is anticipated that there will be a general growth in the demand for imported commodities in various parts of China this year. Galal maintained that since both Egypt and China have a long history, splendid culture and many historical sites and places of interest, therefore the two countries have ample and good conditions for the development of tourism. In the cultural and journalist fields, the Ambassador hoped that on the basis of the existing extensive bilateral exchanges, Egyptian information departments and Chinese news media would further expand mutual visits and exchanges, so as to pave ways and build bridges for enhancing understanding and deepening friendship between the Egyptian and Chinese peoples. Dr. Galal, 58, was graduated from the Political Science and International Relationship Department of Cairo University, he is interested and accomplished in Chinese culture and China's foreign relationship. In 1998 he was appointed ambassador to China. While working in China, he has visited over 20 Chinese provinces and autonomous regions and many Chinese cities outside Beijing. He showed particular admiration and respect for Mao Zedong, founder of New China, and toured Shaoshan, the hometown of Mao Zedong. In order to get a deeper understanding of the origin of Chinese culture and history, he visited the Confucian residence...Through his visits to various parts of China, particularly visits to western regions in the process of implementing large-scale development, he deeply felt the far-sight and sagacity and wise decisions of the Chinese leaders. He predicted that a great industrial revitalization and economic tide will be sprouting and surging in various parts of China, China's development prospect knows no bounds. **** Venezuelan President Concludes China Tour Venezuela <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/venezuela.html> n President Hugo Chavez Frias left Chengdu Monday morning, concluding his five-day China tour. Chavez told the press at the airport that his visit is fruitful, noting that during the tour Venezuela and China have signed six major agreements on bilateral cooperation, which is sure to elevate bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Chavez also extended his thanks to Chinese leaders and people for the warm reception. As for his three-day tour of southwest China's Sichuan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/sichuan.html> Province, Chavez said he was very impressed by the cooperative and down-to- earth attitude of enterprises and experts in the province. With their active participation, Venezuela-China economic cooperation is sure to achieve success, the president stressed. Chavez arrived in China on May 24 for a state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/jiangzemin.shtml> . **** China, Italy Are Jointly Building World's Biggest Cosmic Ray Lab in Tibet China and Italy <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/Italy.html> are investing heavily in the construction of the world's biggest cosmic ray lab in Tibet <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/tibet.html> , which, when completed, will play a significant role in unraveling the secret of substance and energy sources. The lab is to be set up in the well-known Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Observation Station (YCROS). As reported, the first-phrase investment from Italy will reach US $9 million and the Chinese State Development Planning Commission <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/organs/statecouncil.shtml#sdpc> , Ministry of Science and Technology <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/organs/statecouncil.shtml#st> , the Chinese Academy of Sciences <http://www.cas.ac.cn/> and Natural Science Foundation together invested some US $35 million in this project. In addition, the Cosmic Ray Research Institute of Tibet University will be involved in the management of this lab, according to Meng Xianru, head of Tibet International Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Observation Station. It is reported that the lab hall is planned to cover an area of 10,000 square meters, half of which will be equipped with cosmic ray detector. "In terms of scale, it will be the largest of its kind in the world." Meng added. Cosmic ray observation is basic research, which is of great importance in the study of atmosphere physics, nuclear physics, the activity of the sun, wireless communications, high-energy particles, climatic change, etc. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
