Extracts. NMD Development Unjustified: Chinese Defense Minister Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian said here Wednesday that the United States' advocate for developing the national missile defense system does not stand to reason. Chi, who is also a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, told visiting US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, Jr. that China opposes NMD development, for such a move is detrimental to the trust among nations as well as to world peace and stability. On the Taiwan issue, Chi said that China's policy is based on " peaceful reunification," "one country, two systems" and Chinese President Jiang Zemin's eight-point proposal. Within the one-China principle, he said, any issue can be negotiated. The leader of Taiwan, however, refuses to recognize the one-China principle, and is eagerly beating the drum for the `` independence" of Taiwan. He urged the U.S. side to honor the principles set forth in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and not to send a wrong message to the force that advocates Taiwan ``independence." Chi told Biden that China and the U.S. are two of the most influential nations in the world, and the development of a constructive relationship between them is conducive to both and of vital importance for peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia- Pacific region and the world as a whole. The Chinese government attaches great importance to ties with the U.S., and China is pleased to see the recent improvement in bilateral ties, he said. "We are looking forward to the historic summit between President Jiang and President Bush this fall" he said, adding that he hoped the meeting would inject a new impetus into the development of bilateral ties. On the issue of non-proliferation, he said that China strictly observes international agreements and the commitments it has made, so the U.S. should not make random criticisms based on misleading information. "China keeps its word," he said. Biden said that the majority of the American people hope to see further development of U.S.-China relations. The members of his delegation are from both the Democratic and Republican parties, but all consider U.S.-China relations to be one of the most important of the U.S.' bilateral ties, and that such ties should be handled well. The U.S. side hopes to build up active and constructive relations despite some twists and turns in the relations between the two countries, Biden said, adding that he hoped to exchange frank views with the Chinese side. He said that the U.S. does not support the ``independence" of Taiwan, and that he hopes that cross-straits issues can be resolved peacefully. **** US, Russia Conclude Talks on Missile Defense Senior US and Russian defense officials concluded two-day talks at the Pentagon on Wednesday with an agreement on the need for further consultations on US President George W. Bush's plan to build a missile defense system. The US and Russian delegations held a "substantive discussion on a broad range of issues related to strategic stability and international security," said a brief statement released by the Pentagon at the end of the talks. "The focus of attention was on the interrelated subjects of offensive and defensive weapons. As further study of certain important issues is necessary, the senior advisers plan to continue their consultations," the statement said without giving further details. General Yury Baluyevsky, first deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, led the Russian delegation in the Pentagon talks with the US delegation led by Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy. The talks, which began Tuesday, aimed to pave the way for US. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's meetings in Moscow next Monday and Tuesday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to hold the consultation with the U.S. after meeting with President Bush in Genoa, Italy, last month but reiterated that Russia's stand on the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty has not changed. **** Chinese Premier Meets US Senators Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji met Thursday morning with a US congressional delegation led by Joseph Biden, Jr., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate. The meeting is going on at press time. The US guests are here at the invitation of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs. **** Soul Boy of Dalai Lama to Be Found According to Historical Customs: Tibetan Official The reincarnation or soul boy of the 14th Dalai Lama will be found upon his death in accordance with historical customs and religious rituals. This remark was made by Raidi, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibet <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/tibet.html> Autonomous Regional People's Congress, while being interviewed by a group of journalists from Hong Kong <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/hk.html> Sunday. The 14th Dalai Lama is now living in exile in India <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/india.html> . Raidi said previous Dalai lamas have all been chosen according to historical customs and religious rituals. The common practice to decide who will be the soul boy proceeds as follows: first several candidates for the soul boy are found; the reincarnation is then chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn; finally the soul boy is confirmed after being ratified by the central Chinese government. Raidi emphasized that acts that violate historical customs and religious rituals will be deemed void. In accordance with historical customs, the soul boy or reincarnation of a deceased prominent living Buddha in the Tibetan Buddhism is decided by drawing lots from the golden urn, which was formally established as a system in 1792. In Tibet alone, from the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) until the end of the Republic of China (1912-1949), the reincarnation of more than 70 deceased living Buddhas from Gelug, Kagyu and Nyingma, the three major sects of the Tibetan Buddhism, has been decided by drawing lots from the golden urn. The first living Buddha, chosen by drawing lots from the golden urn, following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, was Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, the 11th Panchen Lama, who was the soul boy of the 10th Panchen Lama. The Hong Kong press delegation, consisting of journalists from 19 press organizations in Hong Kong, carried out extensive reports in Tibet on topics ranging from transport and tourism to religion earlier this month. **** Communications with Taiwan Media Anticipated: Official The Chinese mainland sincerely hopes to strengthen communications with the Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> media, according to an official with the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS). Li Bingcai, vice president of the Beijing <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/beijing.html> -based association, expressed a warm welcome Wednesday when meeting with a delegation composed of leaders and top officials with the Taiwan media. Li said at the meeting that the cross-Straits economic exchanges and cooperation have witnessed great progress in recent years, reaching a considerable scale. The indirect cross-Straits trade volume has accumulated to nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars so far, and the Chinese mainland has approved the opening of some 50,000 Taiwan-funded enterprises, with a contractual investment of 46 billion U.S dollars. The "three direct links" have also achieved partial progress, said Li, but, they do not meet the needs of compatriots on the two sides of the Straits as well as the demands in cross-Strait exchanges in the economic, cultural and many other fields. Li urged the strengthening of economic exchanges and cooperation across the Straits, promising that the Chinese mainland will continue to encourage Taiwan compatriots to invest in the mainland, and their legal rights and interests will be safeguarded according to laws and regulations. Li also expressed the hope that the Taiwan authorities should acknowledge the "one-China" principle and promote the "three direct links" to facilitate the further development of economic exchanges and cooperation across the Straits. The delegation has visited several key media units in the Chinese mainland over the past two days, including the Xinhua News Agency <http://www.xinhua.org/> , the People's Daily <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/GB/paper464/> and CCTV. **** China, Russia Conclude Business Contracts Worth Millions Dollar China and Russia reached economic and trade agreements valued at some 10 million US dollars at a commodities fair which closed Wednesday in Shenyang, this capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. The fair, jointly sponsored by the Liaoning Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Russian Consulate-General, is a large-scale business activity covering both the exhibition of products and trade negotiations. More than 90 enterprises from 11 Russian cities, together with over 150 enterprises from some 16 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities participated in the fair. The fair aims to increase bilateral trade between the two neighboring countries. Chinese foodstuffs, electronic appliances and handicrafts were popular with Russian business people. However, clothes and textile products were given the cold shoulder. On the other hand, Russian timber was a focus of interest for Chinese business people during the three-day event. **** South Korea Urges Koizumi to Drop Plan to Visit War Shrine South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung's ruling party on Wednesday called on Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to drop his controversial plan to visit a war shrine next week. Koizumi's visit, set for next Wednesday, to Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo is opposed by South Korea and other Asian countries invaded by Japan before and during the war. The shrine venerates Japanese war dead, including war criminals hanged by the victorious Allies after World War II. "We strongly urge the Japanese official to scrap his plan to visit Yasukuni Shrine," Jeon Yong-Hak, spokesman for Seoul's ruling Millennium Democratic Party, said in a statement. The spokesman warned that Koizumi's Yasukuni visit would have a negative impact on Seoul-Tokyo ties and Asian peace. China has also protested, further straining ties with Japan following a row over Tokyo's school history textbooks criticised for glossing over wartime atrocities. **** Sharon Visits Turkey With Israel facing increasing isolation and anger throughout the Middle East, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon paid a visit Wednesday to the only country in the region where he is warmly welcomed: Turkey. Islamic groups held protests against Sharon's one-day visit to Turkey, but they will have little impact in a country that is expanding its already flourishing political, economic and military ties with Israel. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit made clear Sharon is welcome any time. "We will be happy to see you in our country frequently," Ecevit said at a joint news conference with Sharon. Still, Ecevit advised Sharon to move toward peace talks with the Palestinians and accept international observers to ease months of bloodshed. "If peace isn't secured, those who oppose any agreement between Israel and the Palestinians will continue to feed violence," Ecevit said. If hopes for peace vanish in the Middle East, Ecevit said, Turkish-Israeli relations would be thrown into difficulty. "Of course, we would not like this, we give importance to our relations both with Israel and Palestinians," he said. Turkey's ties with Israel over recent years have angered and worried Arab nations. But even as anti-Israeli feeling increases in the region with the worsening Israeli-Palestinian violence, Ankara has shown no sign of backing off a relationship that has benefits for both sides. For Israel, ties with overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey are crucial amid its increasing isolation. For Turkey, the relationship is economically and militarily important and is a way to increase Turkey's profile in Washington, which has close ties with both countries. To Turkey's staunchly secular establishment, protests by Islamic groups may only make the relationship more attractive. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
