Extracts. UN Must Adhere to Charter Principles While Preparing for Change: Annan. Calling attention to the U.N.'s capacity to adjust to changing international conditions, the Secretary-General said: "We must preserve this tradition of innovation while maintaining the principles of the Charter, which have guided the Organization for 56 years." At the same time, the U.N. chief said that preparations must be made "for the possibilities of the future and [to] meet the new demands made on the United Nations." The report provided a detailed overview of the U.N. efforts to find solutions to the fundamental problems facing the world. Commenting on the scope of this work, Annan said that "it underlines the enduring significance of the United Nations as an instrument of global cooperation for the common good." The report highlighted recent advances worldwide, while cautioning that they may prove too fragile to endure. "During the past year, we have witnessed striking contrasts on the international scene, both encouraging developments and dangerous threats," Annan said. "These mixed global trends are a reminder that the pursuit of international peace and progress requires the sustained commitment and engagement of the community of nations." Addressing issues related to peace and security, Annan underscored the need to move from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention. According to the report, a draft plan of action on peace-building is now being finalized to serve as a practical guide for the U.N. system on the formulation and implementation of strategies in that area. The report also reviewed the status of proposals to improve U.N. peacekeeping, such as enhancing logistical support and developing within the U.N. "a more effective capacity for analysis that can draw upon the wealth of information available from open sources and within the Organization." The secretary-general stresses that the adoption of such measures "will improve our capacity to respond to the demands that will be made on us." In its section on humanitarian aid, the report decried the lack of adequate contributions to meet the world's needs. "Underfunding is an ongoing and critical limitation for humanitarian action in a number of countries," Annan said. "In the absence of immediate and realistic funding, emergency planning, preparedness and stockpiling can do little to accelerate the humanitarian response to a crisis," he said. The report also provided a detailed overview of the work of the United Nations in cooperating for development, promoting the international legal order and human rights, enhancing management within the Organization, and fostering partnerships with other actors. "On 29 June 2001, Member States did me great honor in appointing me to a second term as secretary-general," Annan said. "We have achieved a great deal over the past five years. I firmly believe, however, that we can and must do better." He expressed conviction that with the active support of the governments and peoples of the world, "the United Nations will fulfill its promise as an indispensable institution for international cooperation." **** Three Tasks for the Chinese People in the New Century: Vice-Premier The three major tasks for the Chinese people in the new century are to continue to promote the modernization drive, accomplish the reunification cause, and maintain world peace and promote common development, said Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen Monday in Beijing. He made the remarks in a keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the International Forum on China and the World in the 21st Century, which is sponsored by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, is being attended by over 200 former political leaders, experts and scholars from all over the world. Qian introduced to the Forum China's domestic and foreign policies in the 21st century. He said that modernization is China's central task, and opening and reform is the fundamental policy to ensure the accomplishment of this task. Qian said that the strategic restructuring of the economy in China is an all-round readjustment of the industrial, regional, urban and rural, and ownership structures. He said that reunification of the motherland is the shared aspiration of all Chinese people, it has a bearing on the national dignity of the Chinese people and China's state sovereignty and territorial integrity. "One country, two systems" is the only good model for the reunification between the two sides across the Taiwan Straits, he said. Within the framework of "one country, two systems", more flexible policies than those for Hong Kong and Macao may be applied to Taiwan. "We cannot afford to renounce the use of force, because that would encourage 'Taiwan independence' elements, making a peaceful reunification impossible to achieve," he said. He said so long as the Taiwan authorities agree to solve the Taiwan Issue under the "one-China" principle, "we can wait patiently." Talking about foreign policies, he said that China has consistently pursued an independent foreign policy of peace and the basic purposes of China's foreign policy are to safeguard world peace and promote common development. Qian said that China stands for democracy in international relations, and sovereign equality of all states, and China opposes hegemonism and power politics. Arms expansion and stronger military alliances will not ensure security. China stands for a new security concept based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation. "We maintain that all countries should increase economic and technological exchanges and cooperation and gradually change the unfair and irrational international economic order so as to achieve common development," he said. **** Koreas Agree to Study Feasibility of Natural-gas Pipeline Link. DPRK <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/dprk.html> has agreed to allow South Korea to conduct a feasibility study for a pipeline to transport natural gas from Russia <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> through DPRK's territory to the South, officials said on Monday. The possible inter-Korean pipeline link is part of an US$11 billion project that would also supply gas to China. The South's commerce, industry and energy ministry said on Monday that a six-man delegation held two-day talks with DPRK officials in Pyongyang last week. "The two sides will sign an accord on the joint feasibility study in Pyongyang by the end of this month," Jeong Dae-Jin of the ministry said. Businesses from Russia, China and South Korea are jointly developing natural gas in Irkutsk in central Siberia, about 4,000 kilometers (2,480 miles) north of Seoul. Supply could well start in 2008. South Korea has considered building the pipeline either through DPRK or under the sea from China. South Korea wants to buy about seven million tonnes of natural gas annually -- 40 percent of its needs -- over 30 years from the Irkutsk field believed to hold 840 million tonnes now. **** Revised Regulations on Recruitment Affairs Put in Force. The revised Regulations on Recruitment Affairs, signed by both Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Chairman of Central Military Commission of China Jiang Zemin, were promulgated on Sunday. The regulations include revisions, supplements and fine-tuning of 22 articles of the previous Regulations on Recruitment Affairs, which had been in force since October 1985 and were considered to be unable to meet the demands of modern-day China. The revised regulations further defined division of responsibilities, streamlined the relation between officials and the recruitment work, and improved the registration system in the military, laying a good foundation for improving recruitment work. In the meantime, the revised regulations have made recruitment procedures stricter, while expanding the scope of recruitment, which will make it easier to recruit higher-quality soldiers. The revised regulations also broadened legal responsibilities and defined penalties given to citizens or institutions that go against military service. **** President Jiang Zemin Meets Overseas Guests. Chinese President Jiang Zemin met with a group of overseas guests Monday morning at the Great Hall of the People. The overseas guests are noted political figures and experts in various fields, who are here to attend the International Forum on China and the World in the 21st Century which opens Monday morning in Beijing. **** Egypt's Ruling Party General Secretary Meets Chinese Publicity. Youssef Wali, general secretary of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), met Saturday with Ding Guangen, head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The two sides held cordial and friendly talks on bilateral relations. Extending warm welcome to the visiting CPC publicity chief, Wali, who is also Egyptian deputy prime minister, said that "Egypt and China have a deeply-rooted friendship." Wali spoke highly of the great achievements gained by China in carrying out its policy of reforms and opening to the outside world under the leadership of the CPC. The NDP is willing to have various contacts with the CPC in order to further ties between the two countries, Wali said. Ding, also member of the Political Bureau and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said that the CPC attaches great importance to developing friendly contacts with the NDP. Such friendly contacts will contribute to better understanding of each other and promoting Sino-Egyptian relations in all fields, he said. The CPC is ready to expand its friendly and cooperative contacts and relations with the NDP, he added. Ding, who is heading a Chinese delegation, arrived here Thursday on a friendly visit to Egypt at the invitation of the NDP. **** Israel Rejects Palestinian Call for Immediate Ceasefire Talks: Report. Israel <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/israel.html> has turned down an offer by Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat for immediate truce talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Israel Radio reported Monday. The report said that Arafat has proposed that the talks be held on Monday in Cairo. Both the Palestinian offer and the Israeli rejection were tied to three Palestinian attacks on Sunday, in which two suicide bombers and a drive-by gunman left five Israelis dead and dozens of others wounded, said the report. But the radio said that a Peres-Arafat meeting, which has been discussed by both sides for weeks, could take place within a few days, though it has often been postponed due to the Israeli- Palestinian violence. Following the three attacks on Sunday, Peres has been under intense pressure from right-wing hardliners to call off the meeting with Arafat. Aids to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon also reportedly questioned the wisdom of holding the meeting at a period of continuing Palestinian attacks. The right-wingers said that Sharon himself had once supported Peres-Arafat talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire, but now has changed his mind. Peres had said, prior to Sunday's attacks, that the meeting with Arafat has to take place without any preconditions or ultimatums. He also tried to lower expectations for the outcome of the meeting. Nearly a month ago, Sharon authorized Peres to negotiate only a ceasefire with Arafat and barred him from conducting political negotiations with the Palestinian leader. Palestinian officials, however, have insisted that the talks should not be devoted solely to security matters, saying that security issue must be linked to political and diplomatic ones. Analysts here believed that Sunday's attacks were designed to torpedo the anticipated Peres-Arafat meeting. **** Int'l Forum on China and World in 21st Century Opens. "The International Forum -- China and World in the 21st Century", sponsored by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), opened Monday in Beijing. The three-day forum attracted various former state leaders, renowned scholars and delegates totaling more than 200. Chinese vice-premier Qian Qichen delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the forum, which was presided over by Mei Zhaorong, president of the CPIFA. According to sources with the CPIFA, participants will exchange views on major issues, such as the development of the international situation, opportunities and challenges China is facing, China's influence on the world, in the 21st century. **** 8 killed in US-British Air Strikes: Iraq. Eight civilians were killed and three others wounded when U.S.-British warplanes bombed southern Iraq on Sunday, an Iraqi military spokesman announced on Monday. In a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), the spokesman said that U.S.-British planes attacked targets in the Salhiya region in southern Wasit Province on Sunday, leading to civilian casualties. The U.S. has confirmed the air raids, saying that the U.S. and British jets bombed three surface-to-air missile sites in the southern no-fly zone of Iraq. The southern no-fly zone, along with another one in northern Iraq, were established by the U.S.-led western allies after the 1991 Gulf War to keep Iraqi President Saddam Hussein at bay. Iraq does not recognize the air exclusion zones and has regularly fired on the U.S. and British planes monitoring them. The U.S. and Britain have intensified air raids on the two no- fly zones recently, in apparent retaliation against Iraq's claim that it shot down an unmanned U.S. reconnaissance plane on August 27. The U.S. has acknowledged that this was the first U.S. aircraft to be lost over the two no-fly zones after the Gulf War. Iraq has vowed to beef up its anti-aircraft defense, in a bid to shoot down allied planes enforcing the two no-fly zones. **** Visit to Open New Chapter in Sino-Kazakh Cooperation. The official visit of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/zhurongji.shtml> to Kazakhstan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/kazakhstan.html> from Wednesday to Friday prior to the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Kazakh diplomatic relations is widely believed to usher their economic cooperation to a new stage. China and Kazakhstan are neighboring countries, sharing a common border of more than 1,700 kilometers. Since the setup of the diplomatic relations in 1992, they have developed sound and continuous political and economic relations, especially in trade. Kazakhstan is presently the second largest trading partner of China among all the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) after Russia <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> . According to official statistics, in the first seven months of this year, the accumulative trade between China and Kazakhstan has reached 778 million US dollars. In 2000, two-way trade hit a historic high of 1.55 billion US dollars, 36.7 percent higher than the previous year. The booming trade has been promoted by the efforts of the two governments, which set up an inter-governmental committee for economic and trade cooperation in 1992. The committee has so far held five meetings to address trade issues. A new branch of the committee has recently held a meeting in Urumqi, China, and representatives of the two countries reached consensus at the meeting on issues like simplifying cross-border procedures and improving conditions to benefit bilateral trade. China and Kazakhstan have also signed more than 10 inter- governmental agreements in economic and trade cooperation, which are deemed as a legal foundation for further development of bilateral trade. Experts consider that trade and economic cooperation between the two countries holds good promise since their trade items complement each other. China are exporting mainly processed goods including textiles, tea, household electric appliances and foodstuffs, while mainly importing raw materials, such as petroleum, steel and wool as well as fertilizers. Besides trade, China and Kazakhstan have been contributing to the regional security and stability as they are both members of the regional cooperative group, the Shanghai <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/Shanghai.html> Cooperation Organization known as the "Shanghai Five". The organization is intended to expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation from political and security areas to more fields including economy, trade, science, technology and cultural exchanges. Premier Zhu is slated to attend the first prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization during his forthcoming visit to Kazakhstan. The meeting is expected to sign documents on regional economic cooperation and more convenient procedures for trade and investment. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
