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CPC Increases Contacts with Foreign Parties: Official. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has made marked progress in enhancing contacts with political parties in foreign countries in 2001, said Dai Bingguo, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. In a Xinhua interview Dai said that the CPC's exchanges with foreign parties are all aimed at safeguarding world peace and promoting development and progress. Contacts to strengthen relations He said that in the past year, the CPC received over 200 delegations from political parties of over 100 countries, and sent more than 100 delegations abroad, which has enhanced mutual understanding and trust and promoted party-to-party and state-to- state relations. The department also held international seminars on party- building theories and practices, and sent a dozen panel groups on study tours abroad in the year, according to Dai. He said that over the past year the CPC promoted relations with parties, parliaments and statesmen of some countries that have no diplomatic ties with China, conducted exchanges and cooperation with non-ruling parties, and established regular exchange mechanisms with young statesmen of major parties of some countries. So far, the CPC has established relations with over 400 parties in over 140 countries, Dai said. Neighboring countries In its exchanges with parties of China's neighboring countries, the CPC aimed at building good-neighborly relations, enhancing cooperation of mutual benefit and safeguarding regional peace and stability, Dai said. ASEAN, WPK and Public of Korea The CPC furthered its contacts with political parties of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), resulting in more consensus and increased exchanges with the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and major parties of the Republic of Korea, Dai said. Russia , Mongolia, India , Central Asia countries The CPC also maintained a good momentum in developing its relations with major parties of Russia, Mongolia, India and countries in central Asia, added Dai. Continue exchanges with Japan although frictions He said that despite frictions in Sino-Japanese relations, the CPC continued its exchanges with Japanese parties and statesmen. Meanwhile, the CPC attached importance to the exchange of experience in governing the country and promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation with parties of developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, said Dai, citing the discussions with delegations from ruling parties of some African countries as part of the following-up actions of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum. Some Latin American political parties had sent delegations to China to discuss political and economic cooperation with China, Dai said. Exchanges with developed countries Exchanges between the CPC and the political parties of developed countries, West European parties in particular, have progressed in an unprecedented way, according to Dai. The CPC received more than 40 delegations from European parties and sent a number of groups to visit Europe. Besides, the CPC also sent a delegation to visit the European Parliament for the first time as guests of the people's party group, and conducted sincere dialogs with all party groups, according to Dai. This shows the CPC will make friends with all parties in the world to enhance understanding, remove prejudices, deepen trust and seek common ground, Dai said. Business contacts He said that with economic factors' increased role in international relations, to promote economic and trade cooperation through political exchanges has become a point of view shared by all statesmen. He said that during their visits abroad in the past year, members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, who hold leading positions in provinces or municipalities, took business people with them to explore business opportunities with effective results. In line with China's strategy for developing its western areas, the CPC gave more opportunities to western areas when organizing groups to visit foreign countries, said Dai. Moreover, more than 70 delegations from foreign parties, especially those from developed countries, visited China's western areas, he said. Dai said that the International Department of the CPC Central Committee will strive for a bigger role in serving China's diplomacy, reform and opening-up drive, strengthening the CPC's role as the ruling party, and building socialism with Chinese characteristics. **** Iraq Seeks to Solve Outstanding Issues With Iran: FM. Iraq seeks to solve all the outstanding issues with Iran and hopes to develop good neighborliness with the former enemy, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri Ahmed said on Wednesday. Iraq seeks to solve all the outstanding issues with Iran and hopes to develop good neighborliness with the former enemy, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri Ahmed said on Wednesday. Ahmed made the remarks during a meeting with an Iranian delegation, the official INA news agency reported. The meeting came amid reports that Ahmed would visit Tehran nextmonth in an effort to further improve the relations with Iran. All the outstanding issues between the two countries are expected to beraised and tackled during the visit. During the meeting, Ahmed praised as "fruitful" the efforts madeby both sides in such fields as the search and exchange of the remains of soldiers killed in the 1980-88 war between the two neighbors, detecting the destiny of the missing in action (MIA), aswell as immigrants and refugees. Some 1 million people were killed in the bloody war between the two countries. The bilateral relations have not been normalized since a ceasefire was reached more than 13 years ago out of such issues as the prisoners of war, the MIAs and each side's support for the other's armed opposition groups. **** DPRK Blasts Japan for Linking It to Sunken Ship. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) denounced Japan on Wednesday for suspecting that an unidentified ship which sank Saturday in the East China Sea following a shoot-out with Japanese patrol boats was a vessel from DPRK. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) denounced Japan on Wednesday for suspecting that an unidentified ship which sank Saturday in the East China Sea following a shoot-out with Japanese patrol boats was a vessel from DPRK. Linking the incident to DPRK is a ''trite charge and provocation'' by Japan, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to the incident for the first time. ''Patrol boats of Japan indiscriminately machine-gunned an unidentified ship in the East China Sea, sinking it...This crime...is nothing but brutal piracy and unpardonable terrorism of modern brand that could be committed only by samurais of Japan in defiance of international laws,'' KCNA said. ''The Japanese reactionaries are spreading a sheer rumor that the unidentified ship might be a 'spy ship from North Korea' describing their piracy as a 'measure for self-defense.' ''This proves that their loudmouthed case of the 'unidentified ship' is another trite charge and a grave provocation, products of the anti-DPRK policy of the Japanese reactionaries,'' it said. **** Bright But Tortuous Road for Inter-Korean Relations. The resumption of inter-Korean ministerial-level talks after two months of stalemate broke down on November 14 as the two sides failed to iron out difference over Seoul's highetened security alert following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The resumption of inter-Korean ministerial-level talks after two months of stalemate broke down on November 14 as the two sides failed to iron out difference over Seoul's highetened security alert following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. At the sixth inter-Korean ministerial talks held at the Mount Kumgang in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on issues of divided family reunions and economic cooperation meetings, among others, the DPRK expressed its anger over South Korea's heightened security alert, including anti-terror measures, diplomatic activities and military drills after the terrorist attacks. Denouncing the alert directed against the DPRK, Pyongyang insisted that South Korea abolish it as a precondition for implementation of bilateral agreements while South Korea maintained that it is aimed at protecting citizens and foreigners from terrorists in the country. The talks ended resultless without even setting a date for the next round of talks, causing strong reactions from both sides. South Korean ruling Millenium Democratic Party (MDP) expressed deep regret over the fruitless talks while the opposition Grand National Party(GNP) demanded the government give up its Sunhsine Policy toward the DPRK. Meanwhile, Pyongyang said Seoul is pursuing a hostile policy, accusing the latter of deserting the fundamental spirit of the South-North Joint Declaration signed at the first inter-Korean summit between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and DPRK leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang on June 13-15 last year. There are mounting concerns that inter-Korean ties once again have come into a "cooling-off" period which will last for a considerable time. Looking back history of inter-Korean relationship after the Korean Peninsula was divided in 1945, dialogue and stalemate alternated frequently. Just in terms of one year and half following the first inter- Korean summit, the world has seen ups and downs in inter-Korean relationship. At the summit, the two Kims signed the Joint Declaration and promised to cooperate in various sectors, establish a peace mechanism and realize Kim Jong Il's return visit to Seoul. It received international acclaim, for which, Kim Dae-jung was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. After that, both sides held several rounds of fruitful ministerial talks, leading to three times of separated family reunions, the first inter-Korean defense ministers' meeting and reconstruction of the inter-Korean railway and highway, exchanges in such fields as sports and culture and humanitairan sector. However, the inter-Korean ties suffered a major challenge early this year. Washington adopted a tough policy toward the DPRK when George W. Bush became U.S. president. Although it dealt a serious blow to the inter-Korean ties and Kim Dae-jung's Sunhine Policy toward the DPRK, it showed some relaxation in August when President Bush said after a careful policy review, his administration would like to resume talks with the DPRK. And in September, the fifth inter-Korean ministerial meeting was held in Seoul. Yet in November, the sixth ministerial meeting ended fruitless over the alert. Many, if not fundamental, changes in inter-Korean ties have taken place since the first inter-Korean summit as most key agreements have not been materialized. But the inter-Korean relations are undergoing a positive change for the better due to the overall international trend toward peace, co-existence and co-prosperity. It will take time and patience to see improved inter-Korean ties as the two sides have developed different ideologies, social systems and regligions before Washington and Pyongyong normalize their relations. The DPRK-U.S. relationship progressed substantively to the point where Clinton considered visiting Pyongyang personally just before ending his presidency. Before that, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had visited Pyongyang and DPRK Vice Marshal Cho Ming Rok visited Washington. DPRK ambassador to the United Nations Li Hyong-chol said in his statement to the UN General Assembly on November 13 that Pyongyang will resume talks with Washington only when its policy matches the level of the Clinton government. "Resumption of the DPRK-USA dialogue will only be possible when the present U.S. administration gets rid of its Cold War mentality and adopts a stance at least at the level of the one taken by the Clinton administration in the last period of its term of office," the ambassador said in the statement. Really in the same boat, Seoul and Pyongyang are the only direct parties to settle the Korean Peninsula issue, which should be resovled through dialogue and cooperation between themsleves although the issue is closely connected to others. The prospects for the inter-Korean relationship are bright, but with a tortuous road. **** Indian, Pakistan Troops Continue Exchange of Fire in Kashmir. Indian and Pakistan troops continued their exchange of fire for the fifth day on Wednesday indisputed Kashmir with India accusing Pakistan widening the sweep of its mortar shelling and targeting forward Indian positions, reports reaching here said. Indian and Pakistan troops continued their exchange of fire for the fifth day on Wednesday indisputed Kashmir with India accusing Pakistan widening the sweep of its mortar shelling and targeting forward Indian positions, reports reaching here said. According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), four people, including three Indian soldiers, were killed in Jammu-Poonch and Kargil sectors on Wednesday by shelling from the Pakistan side, which forced heavy exodus of civilians. The PTI quoted official sources in India-controlled Kashmir as saying that Pakistani troops, using heavy weaponry and rocket launchers, fired at Indian positions along the line of control andinternational border in Jammu-Poonch sector and targeted some villages in kathua district. Indian troops hit back in retaliation from all the attacked positions and heavy exchange of firing was continuing when reportslast came in from the area. The PTI reported that 13 people, including nine Indian soldiers,were killed and 19 others injured, 12 of them soldiers, in the last five days in Pakistani shelling. Meanwhile, Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes said on Wednesday that India's missile systems were "in position" even as the Army's training exercises would be held as scheduled in Rajasthan and Punjab in the first half of January. "At the moment, we are concentrating on Agni-II ballistic missile (with a range of nearly 2500 km). We do not have any plansnow for a longer-range missile," he said in an interview. **** Japan's November Industrial Output Shows Biggest Decline Since 1975. Japan's industrial output production in November fell 13.1 percent from a year earlier, the largest decline since May 1975, the Japanese government said on Thursday. Japan's industrial output production in November fell 13.1 percent from a year earlier, the largest decline since May 1975, the Japanese government said on Thursday. The index of output at mines and factories fell a seasonally adjusted 1.8 percent from October to 90.9 against the 1995 base of 100, its lowest point since November 1987, said a preliminary report by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The year-to-year decline was the largest since output plummeted 14.7 percent in May 1975 in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis. The report attributed the monthly drop in November to fallbacks from the robust output of electronics toys and passenger cars in October for export to the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> . Output of those two items tumbled 50.8 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively, according to the report. The index of industrial shipments shed 1.4 percent to 93.5, andthe index of industrial inventories slid 1.5 percent to 95.3, bothfor a third consecutive monthly drop, METI said in the report. METI forecasts that manufacturing will pick up month-to-month in December by 2.1 percent, to be followed by a 0.4 percent rise in next January, as demand grows for new car models and computers for business year-end account settlements, a METI official said. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
