Extracts. **** Political Buffoon Under Wings of Lee Teng-hui A byline article titled "political buffoon under the wings of Lee Teng-hui" Monday slammed the divisive-prone Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) which was formed Sunday in Taipei. The article notes that the nature of the TSU is to create conflict between people of different origins and to support separatism forces. The TSU's political scheme and its members indicate that it is a union of separatists, a "Taiwan independence party" which denies the One-China principle and undermines development of across- Strait relationship, says the article. The TSU, formed in accordance with Lee Teng-hui's orders, holds the banner of localization and has Lee Tung-hui as its "spiritual leader." Lee had the TSU formed in an attempt to win some seats in a legislative election to be held at the end of this year so that it could form an alliance with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Lee, former chairman of the Kuomintang, tried hard to siphon off resources for the DPP and the "Taiwan independence" force. What he has done does not accord with the rules of party politics. That a retired politician wishes to interfere in the political situation is against rules of "democratic politics" in all senses. Lee and his followers have proved again with their actions that they are not only trouble-makers for across-Strait relations but also disaster-makers. The vicious intentions of Lee and the TSU can not cheat the Taiwan compatriots. The TSU claimed that it would stick to Lee's "two-state" remark and that Taiwan should get involved in the international community. The article points out that the current deadlock between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits was caused by Lee's "two-state" remarks and the new Taiwan authorities' implementation of such remarks. The consequence of Lee's political tricks are jeopardizing across-Strait relations and bringing calamity to Taiwan society, says the article. **** China Not Copies Others' Political Systems: Jiang Chinese President Jiang Zemin has said that China will not copy the political systems of other countries. Jiang made the remarks in his interview with the New York Times on August 8. "When conducting political reform, we should give full consideration to historical background and the level of economic development,culture and education of our country," he said. "The political reform should be conducted in such a manner as to promote national reunification, unity and social stability," he said. When asked to comment China's political reform, Jiang said that the very objective of China's political reform is to carry forward socialist democracy and legal system, improve the specific mechanisms of socialist democracy, ensure the people their full rights to democratic election, democratic decision-making, democratic administration and democratic supervision, increase the vitality of the Party and the country, fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the grassroots units and the general public, make the decision-making process more scientific and democratic and give greater scope to the advantages and features of the socialist system. "It has always been our objective to develop socialist democracy," he said. "We suggested a long time ago that without democracy, there would be no socialism, let alone socialist modernization." The essence of socialist democracy is that "people are masters of the country," Jiang said. China is a country with more than 5,000 years of ancient civilization. However, "it is only after the founding of New China that its people have truly become masters of their country, their society and their own destiny," he said. This "represents a fundamental change in the political status of the Chinese people," he stressed. "It marked a great leap forward from thousands of years of feudalistic autocracy to democracy in China." "This is the most fundamental for one to recognize in observing the present-day politics in China. Otherwise it would be impossible to have a fundamentally correct understanding of the essence of China's political system," he said. Jiang said that the world is diverse and colorful. All civilizations and social systems should try to find common ground and shelve differences and draw upon each other's strong points to make up for one's own deficiencies, he said. **** China Not in Favor of US Anti-Missile System Test: Jiang Chinese President Jiang Zemin has said that China is not in favor of the US test of the anti-missile system. Jiang's remarks were put in his interview with the New York Times on August 8 in Beidaihe, a summer resort 240 km away from Beijing. Jiang said that "We share the worries of many other countries that this move may cause a series of negative effects and thus impair world strategic stability." Jiang stressed that China stands for working out, through dialogues, solutions that would not harm security interests of any side China's possession of the very limited nuclear weapons is solely for self-defence and poses no threat to any country, Jiang stressed. "In order to safeguard our national security interests, we need to ensure the effectiveness of our nuclear force," he said. **** China, US Share Common Responsibilities in Safeguarding Peace and Stability, Jiang China and the United States share common responsibilities in safeguarding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the world at large, said Chinese President Jiang Zemin in a recent interview with New York Times of the United States. In an interview on August 8 with Chairman of the New York Times Company and Publisher of the New York Times (NYT) Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., NYT Executive Editor Joseph Lelyveld and other NYT journalists, Jiang said China and the US also shared common responsibilities in promoting national and global economic development and prosperity and managing global issues. "Hence there is a need for closer cooperation," he said, "We hope to develop a constructive, cooperative relationship with the United States." He said it is nothing strange for China and the US, two big countries, to have differences. But he expressed that he is optimistic about the prospects of China-US relations. So long as the two sides abide by the three China-US Joint Communiques and basic norms governing international relations and properly handle the bilateral issues, China-US relations will improve further and grow stronger, he said. On the so-called fear that China and the US could have a new Cold War, Jiang said that Chinese, like all other peoples in the world, would not like to see any recurrence of a hot war, cold war or turmoil anywhere in the world. "We long for a lasting world peace and promote common development and prosperity," he said. China has made it its central task to develop the economy and improve people's life, he said. "China does not pursue expansion. China poses no threat to any country and has no intention to seek confrontation with any country," he stressed. China instead wishes to live with all other countries as equals and conduct friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation with them on the basis on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Jiang said. **** China Criticizes Japanese PM's Shrine Visit The Chinese government and people have expressed strong dissatisfaction and indignation over Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Monday in Beijing. Zhang made the remark when asked to comment on Koizumi's visit Monday to the Shrine. She noted that in disregard of the strong opposition from Japan 's Asian neighbors including China and inside Japan itself, Koizumi visited the Shrine that has memorial tablets to class-A war criminals. The wrongful action taken by the Japanese leader has damaged the political basis of Sino-Japanese relations, hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and the people of the majority of victimized countries in Asia, and violated the series of solemn statements and commitments made by the Japanese government on the history issue, she pointed out. The Chinese side will make solemn and just representations with the Japanese side through diplomatic channels, added Zhang. She went on to say that the Chinese side has taken note of the fact that Koizumi, under domestic and foreign pressure, finally gave up his former plan to visit the Shrine on August 15, which is a sensitive time, and delivered a statement today reiterating that Japan admits its history of aggression and reiteriting its attitude on introspecting its action. China requests the Japanese side to practice what it preaches, and honor its statements and commitments made to the Chinese side in a truthful manner. **** S.Korea Parties, Civic Groups Condemn Koizumi's Visit to Yasukuni Both South Korean ruling and opposition parties Monday unanimously accused Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine in defiance of the strong opposition from Asian countries. The political parties also urged the South Korean government to take strong counter measures against Japan. Ruling Millennium Democratic Party spokesman Jeon Yong-hak said Koizumi's visit to the place where 14 Class-A Japanese criminals of the Pacific War are enshrined is tantamount to piercing the Asian people with a knife and it is a declaration that Japan is no longer a peace-loving nation. South Korea, in cooperation with other Asian nations, will make a concerted effort to prevent the specter of Japanese militarism from re-emerging, said the ruling party spokesman. Opposition Grand National Party spokesman Kwon Chunl-hyun said Koizumi's visit was a big shock as he made the visit in spite of the strong opposition from many Asian people and the people of conscience in Japan. The prime minister may win the support of a limited number of people in Japan, but he will certainly lose the support of the world people, said the opposition spokesman. Spokesman of the ruling coalition partner United Liberal Democrats Byun-ung-jun said Koizumi's visit to the place where the criminals who forced many people to die in the war in the capacity as prime minister was an unforgivable act of justifying the war. Byun appealed to the government to review the South Korean- Japanese partnership. Meanwhile, South Korean civic groups strongly denounced Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. The South Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said it is unforgivable for the Japanese prime minister to worship the criminals. It said Koizumi's visit is a challenge to all East Asian nations and a great threat to the region's peace. The council will deliver a strong message of protest to the Japanese embassy by holding a demonstration on August 15. The Movement to Correct Japanese Textbooks said Koizumi's visit showed his contempt for Japan's neighbors despite opposition from them and civilian groups. The visit to the shrine, a symbol of Japan's imperialist aggression, is a conspiracy to revive militarism, said the movement. The Association for Promoting Compensation for Victims of the Pacific War said the change in date of the visit does not mean a change in its character and the visit means revival of militarism. **** China Shows No Tolerance to Corruption, Jiang The attitude of the Chinese government towards corruption is that "we will fight corruption unswervingly, unremittingly and without showing any tolerance or mercy," Chinese President Jiang Zemin made the remarks in his recent interview with The New York Times. "We have always believed that to combat corruption and build a clean government is an important guarantee for a smooth reform, opening-up and modernization drive," he said in the interview on August 8. He also pointed out that corruption, as a social and historical phenomenon, has existed in all countries in the past and at present. "None of the countries in the world today can claim that it has completely eliminated corruption," he said. "The only difference in this regard is that corruption is more serious in some countries than others." According to the Chinese president, as China is in a transition from the planned economy to a socialist market economy, its various systems need to be improved. In addition, there are vestiges of feudal ideas that have existed for thousands of years. "All these have given corruption the hotbed to breed and spread and have added difficulties to our campaign against corruption," he said. Jiang said that "To combat corruption and build a clean government calls for efforts not just to address the symptoms, but more importantly to tackle the rootcauses." To this end, Jiang stressed that "Education lays the groundwork, law serves as a guarantee and supervision holds the key." "We should get rid of the soil that breeds corruption through deepening reform," he said. Democratic elections and media supervision will help check corruption, he said. "We have made many efforts in all these areas and achieved positive results." The leading cadres of the Communist Party of China, leading officials of governments at all levels and deputies to the people' s congresses at all levels are all elected, he said. Democratic elections encourage officials to be honest and just and stay away from corruption, he said. Conditions in China have decided that China's election system will not be exactly the same as that in Western countries, he said. "And it is not necessary to have exactly the same election system." The media supervision is an important part of people's supervision, he said. Chinese media have played an important role in supervising governmental officials. Many newspapers, TV stations, radio and other media have columns or programs devoted specifically to the anti-graft issue and have in fact exposed quite a lot of problems, he said. **** Hezbollah Calls for Participation in Palestinian Intifada The chief of Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, or Party of God, has called for a participation in the Palestinian intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation, the local newspaper As Safir reported on Monday. Addressing a gathering in a south Lebanese village on Sunday, Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of the Hezbollah, praised Thursday's Palestinian suicide bombing attack in central Jerusalem, which killed 15 Israelis and injured about 100 others. He claimed that the Jewish state was helpless in the face of suicide attacks, stressing that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would soon acknowledge this fact. Nasrallah said that the escalating Palestinian-Israeli confrontation would eventually force Hezbollah to join the battle against Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "With the development of events inside Palestine, we are getting closer to the challenge that will put us into the intifada against Israelis," he added. He called on Hezbollah members to be ready to participate in the Jihad (holy war) in the occupied Palestinian lands. However, Nasrallah has not revealed the time and the way the organization would join the battle against Israelis. Meanwhile, Nasrallah reiterated that Hezbollah will be very cautious, "because the current confrontation can not afford any mistake of timing and strategy." Nasrallah was re-elected last Thursday as Hezbollah's secretary general for another three years of tenure. He has been elected as the chief of the organization for three times in a row since 1992. The Syrian and Iranian-backed Hezbollah spearheaded resistance against Israeli occupation in south Lebanon, forcing the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon in May 2000, ending its 22-year occupation. Hezbollah vows to continue its fighting against Israel as long as it holds Arab lands. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
