Extracts.
Taiwan Not Invited as Observer at WHA.
The Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) decided Monday in
Geneva to reject the proposal of inviting Taiwan to participate in the World
Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer since Taiwan is a province of China,
thus has no qualification whatsoever to participate in the Assembly.
" Really a misfortune for the WHO"
The Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) decided Monday in
Geneva to reject the proposal of inviting Taiwan to participate in the World
Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer.
While discussing the provisional agenda at the 109th session of the WHO
Executive Board which started here on Monday, the representative of Cuba
said Taiwan is part of China and that the proposal of inviting Taiwan to
participate in the WHA should not be included as an item into the
provisional agenda of the WHA.
The WHO Executive Board adopted the motion proposed by Cuba with a vote of
20-3.
Sha Zukang, ambassador of China's Permanent Mission in Geneva, said, "The
Chinese government resolutely rejects the proposal of inviting Taiwan to
participate in the WHA as an observer and opposes the inclusion of the
proposal as an item into the provisional agenda of the WHA."
He said it is the first time that the Taiwan issue is raised at the
Executive Board meeting of the WHO. He said, "This is really a misfortune
for the WHO.
" Purely an internal affair of China"
The Chinese delegation cannot but express its regret over this new
development." The proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as
an observer" has been rejected each year at the Assembly of the World Health
Organization in the past five years.
The Chinese ambassador said, "The WHO is a specialized U.N. agency and only
sovereign states are eligible for its membership. Taiwan, as a province of
China, has no qualification whatsoever to participate in the WHA." Sha said,
"Taiwan became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) this year. But
WHO is not WTO."
He said Taiwan has been admitted in the WTO with the status of "Chinese
Taipei separate customs territory" but not as a sovereign state. Sha said
the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China and should only be
resolved by the Chinese people themselves. No foreign country has the right
to meddle or interfere in it.
"To raise a proposal on Taiwan's participation in the WHO, under whatever
pretext or in whatever form, is an act of infringement upon the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of China and an act of interference in the
internal affairs of China, " said the Chinese ambassador.
****
Taiwan Media: Taiwan Leader's Approval on "Passport" Change, a Dangerous
Move.
Quite a few Taiwan media published articles, pointing out that the notation
of "Taiwan" on the "passport" approved by Taiwan leader is a dangerous move,
an attempt to destroy the relations on both sides of the Strait and a move
to lead Taiwan to "independence".
Quite a few Taiwan media published articles, pointing out that the notation
of "Taiwan" on the "passport" approved by Taiwan leader is a dangerous move,
an attempt to destroy the relations on both sides of the Strait and a move
to lead Taiwan to "independence".
Taiwan's "Central Daily News" editorial points out today, it's difficult to
change the nature of Taiwan leader. Yesterday saw him announce openly that
he approved the notation of "Taiwan" onto the "passport". The move is
tantamount to pouring oil over the fire in view of the stalemate situation
across the strait. With his own manipulation of the issue of "unification
and independence", it will exert a great impact on Taiwan society, a
stumbling block for the development of the Taiwan society.
The Taiwan leader, with such an ideology to guide his policy-making, is no
better than the head of a disaster, points out the editorial. The more he
makes his efforts the dimmer the perspective in Taiwan. To put the word
"Taiwan" onto the "passport" will do no substantial good to Taiwan at all
except making more obvious his intention of "independence".
Another article, a commentary entitled "Again a shadow of Taiwan
independence" carried in the paper points out sharply, putting the word
"Taiwan" onto the "passport" by the government of the People's Progressive
Party is actually in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" and the government is
a government for "Taiwan independence". When the phantasm for "Taiwan
independence" is looming large over the island the crucial moment the people
in Taiwan are facing is to appear clearer from among the shadow. The article
calls on the people in Taiwan that they must not remain reticent about it.
The report of Taiwan "United Daily News" points out today: as the Kuomintang
and the People First Party hold, this practice of the People's Progressive
Party reveals a fact that "the more they paint the blacker it becomes,"
showing extraordinarily clear the haunting of its ideology. The deputy head
of the Kuomintang's "Council for Cultural Affairs" said: the notation of
"Taiwan" onto the "passport" unveils a fact that the leader of Taiwan is
attempting to lead Taiwan by way of international to the "Independence of
Taiwan" and this is not only impractical but also very dangerous.
The "Central News Agency" also reported the speech by the convener for the
plenary session of the New Party of Taiwan in the "Legislative Yuan". He
pointed out in it that the decision made by the Taiwan Authority revealed
very clearly its ideological tendency towards the "Independence of Taiwan",
an ulterior motive to change the "name of the country" by casting a shadow
over Taiwan.
In an interview with the reporter of the "Central News Agency", Lien Chan,
President of the Kuomintang Party pointed out that the move of the Taiwan
Authority went seriously against the constitutional law of Taiwan. He called
on the people of Taiwan to get to know clearly such a person in politics who
always put the "love for the Taiwan People" on his lips, yet is actually a
self-conceited and self-styled spokesman for only a small clique of people
in Taiwan.
****
Chinese Premier, Indian President for Better Bilateral Ties.
Visiting Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji on Monday called on Indian President K R
Narayanan and both leaders agreed that despite certain existing problems,
the two countries should continuously improve bilateral relations and
enhance cooperation in various fields.
Premier Zhu, Indian President for Better Bilateral Ties
Visiting Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji on Monday called on Indian President K
R Narayanan and both leaders agreed that despite certain existing problems,
the two countries should continuously improve bilateral relations and
enhance cooperation in various fields.
Zhu, the first Chinese Premier to visit India in 11 years, met the Indian
President at the Presidential Palace in central Delhi. Zhu's wife Lao An and
India's First Lady Usha Narayanan were also present during the meeting,
which, according to diplomatic sources, was held in an "amicable and
friendly" atmosphere.
The Chinese Premier first conveyed warm greetings from President Jiang Zemin
to President Narayanan. Calling President Narayanan "an old friend well
known to the Chinese people," Zhu said he highly appreciated the President's
contributions to the improvement of relations between China and India.
Extending a warm welcome to Zhu, Narayanan said that India and China were
both ancient civilizations and have also become important political and
economic forces in the world with the rapid economic growth they have
achieved.
India believes that India and China could make major contributions to peace
and development in the world if the two countries further develop their
economies, maintain friendly relations, learn from each other and provide
mutual support, Narayanan noted.
Although there are still certain problems between India and China, this
should not affect their cooperation in various fields and there remains
great potential for continuous progress of bilateral ties, the President
stressed.
He also expressed confidence that Zhu's visit would have a significant
impact on the future of India-China relations.
Zhu responded by saying that the purpose of his visit was to consolidate
friendship, increase trust and expand cooperation between the two countries.
"Although there remain some problems between our two countries that need to
be addressed properly, it is more important to cherish the traditional
friendship between us and keep our long- term common interest in mind," Zhu
added.
If two great nations like China and India could learn from each other and
jointly seek development, it would not only benefit both peoples but also
contribute a lot to social progress of the whole humanity, he asserted.
"I firmly believe there are enormous potential and broad prospects for China
and India to carry out cooperation in various fields," he stated.
During the meeting, President Narayanan also asked Zhu to convey his best
wishes to Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
****
Jordan Keen on Developing Close Ties With China: King.
King Abdullah Bin Hussein said Monday that Jordan is keen on developing
close ties with China and that the bilateral ties and Mideast situation will
be high on the agenda of his upcoming visit to Beijing.
King Abdullah Bin Hussein said Monday that Jordan is keen on developing
close ties with China and that the bilateral ties and Mideast situation will
be high on the agenda of his upcoming visit to Beijing
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/beijing.html> .
During an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Abdullah said that China is a
country with international weight and that his visit to Beijing, due on
Thursday, marks a rare opportunity for a meeting with Chinese President
Jiang Zemin to exchange views on bilateral ties and the Mideast situation.
China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, could
join efforts with the world community, the United States, Russia, the
European Union (EU) in particular, to break the circle of violence between
Israel and the Palestinians and create a favorable ambience to revive the
Mideast peace process, he said.
Abdullah added that he will also discuss the Iraq issue with Chinese leaders
and expressed hope that China could play a role in ending the stalemate
between Iraq and the U.N. as well as the U.S. to remove the aftermath of the
1990 Gulf crisis, triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
He voiced satisfaction with the current status of Jordan's relations with
China, saying that the two countries have maintained close cooperation in
the political, cultural and economic fields both on the government and
people-to-people levels.
Abdullah said that China achieved a miracle in developing the economy during
the past 20 years and that its experiences of economic development could
serve as a model for other developing countries to improve economic
performance and to raise the people'sliving standards.
Jordan also hopes to learn from China's experiences in economic development,
he added.
He said that he will meet with leaders of the Chinese business community
during his visit to China, and brief them on investment opportunities in
Jordan.
"I hope that Chinese businessmen will share the development opportunities
with Jordan," the king said.
Jordan wants to attract more Chinese investments, particularly after Amman
signed a free trade pact with the U.S., an association agreement with the EU
and free trade agreements with other Arab countries in 2001, Abdullah said.
He said that China will further speed up its economic development after its
entry into the World Trade Organization and thanks to its efforts to promote
trade relations with the U.S., the EU and Arab countries.
Abdullah is also expected to visit Shanghai and Hong Kong during his
five-day trip in China.
****
China, S. Africa Urge Intl. Community Not to Neglect Developing States.
China and South Africa on Monday called on the international community not
to neglect issues facing developing countries while engaging itself in the
fight against terrorism. This was stated by visiting Chinese Foreign
Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his South African counterpart Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma at the first diplomatic sub-committee session of the Sino-South
African Bi-National Commission in Pretoria.
Both sides stressed importance of developing countries' development
Both sides stressed that while fighting against terrorism, the international
community should pay more attention to such issues as poverty reduction in
developing countries and efforts to narrow the gap between the South and the
North, according to a statement issued after the session.
The two foreign ministers also called on the United Nations to play a
leading role in combating terrorism.
They stressed that the fight against terrorism should not be fought with
double standards or extended to target any other countries.
Tang reiterated China's stance on anti-terrorism struggle
At a joint press conference after the meeting, Tang reiterated China's
opposition to any attempt or practice of linking terrorism with certain
religion, certain countries or certain ethnic groups.
"Nor can we agree to such an attempt made by some forces to extend the scope
of anti-terrorism struggle in light of their own strategic interests or
political needs," Tang stressed. "This will not be conducive to regional
peace and stability and world peace at large," he said, adding that the
fight against terrorism must have clear-defined targets and must not cause
civilian casualties.
Religious or ethnic contradictions may have given rise to terrorism, but any
practice of equating such religion or ethnic groups with terrorism would
lead to great chaos in the world, he warned.
The anti-terrorism struggle would be a drawn-out and arduous process and the
U.S.-led military victory in Afghanistan did not mean the struggle was
over, Tang said. Peace, development, terrorism and economic globalization
were the main issues facing the world and called for equal participation of
all countries in resolving the issues, Tang said.
"China and South Africa will coordinate their positions and jointly
facilitate the democratization of international relations and the
establishment of a new economic and political order," he said. Dlamini-Zuma
echoed this view, pledging that South Africa would work closely with China
in fighting against terrorism.
S. Africa opposes attempt of linking terrorism with political regime
South Africa did not agree that a particular political regime should be
linked with terrorism, she said. "The anti-terrorism struggle should be
fought under a United Nations front or international front," she said. "It
is important for the United Nations to play a role in the fight against
terrorism."
Tang arrived in South Africa on Saturday for a four-day visit.
****
Chinese Foreign Minister Voices Support for African Renaissance.
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan on Monday voiced support for
African renaissance under the New Partnership for African Development
(NEPAD).
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan on Monday voiced support for
African renaissance under the New Partnership for African Development
(NEPAD).
He told a press conference here jointly held with his South African
counterpart Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma that China also supported the
establishment of the African Union (AU) which would take over the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) in July, this year.
"We stand ready to explore, within the framework of the forum on
China-Africa Cooperation (held in Beijing in 2000), the ways and means for
our cooperation, participation in and implementation of NEPAD," Tang said.
China would continue to develop relations with African countries on the
basis of genuine friendship, equality and mutual benefit, he said.
He also said that China spoke highly of the role by South Africa in
facilitating the peaceful resolution of all kinds of conflict on the African
continent.
"Both China and South Africa are determined to further strengthen their
consultations and cooperation in this field," Tang said.
Tang said both China and South Africa expected the international community
to pay more attention to developing countries and participate more actively
in resolving the development issues of the developing countries.
Dlamini-Zuma expressed appreciation for China's support for the AU and
NEPAD, saying her talks with Tang broadened the understanding of the issues
facing the African Continent and in what areas the two countries could
further cooperate.
She stressed that Africa needed China's support and cooperation to make the
AU and NEPAD work.
Africa could learn from China's experiences in economic development, she
said.
Earlier on Monday, the two foreign ministers co-chaired the first diplomatic
sub-committee session of the Sino-South African Bi-National Commission.
Both sides discussed ways of further developing Sino-South African relations
and a wide range of issues of mutual concern, according to a statement
issued after the meeting.
The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the smooth and rapid
development of bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic ties in
early 1998, said the statement.
They agreed on the need to tap the potentials in various fields and push
bilateral relations to a new level, the statement said.
Tang arrived in South Africa on Saturday night for a four-day visit.
****
Mubarak Urges Israel to End Provocative Practices Against Palestinians.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday urged Israel to end its
provocative practices against the Palestinians in a bid to avoid a disaster
in the Middle East.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday urged Israel to end its
provocative practices against the Palestinians in a bid to avoid a disaster
in the Middle East.
"Irresponsible Israeli practices provoke more violence and terrorism all
over the world, not only against the Americans, Egyptians or others, but
also against Israel itself," Mubarak told a press conference after the
opening of a telecommunications exhibition in Cairo, Egypt's state-run MENA
news agency reported.
Mubarak's remarks came at a time when Israel has stepped up its military
actions against the Palestinians over the past week.
Last Friday, more than 10 Israeli bulldozers, supported by armored vehicles
and tanks, destroyed completely the runway of the Gaza International
Airport.
One day earlier, the Israeli army demolished 73 Palestinian homes in Rafah
on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, leaving more than 600
Palestinians homeless, in retaliation for the killing of four Israeli
soldiers by Palestinian gunmen on Wednesday.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks are in stalemate due to the more than 15
months of violence between the two sides, during which over 1,100 people,
most of them Palestinians, have been killed.
"We are with peace and stability, and not with this or that party," Mubarak
stressed, saying that peace and stability will never be achieved unless
rights are restored to their owners.
Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979,
has been playing a key role in helping resolve the Arab- Israeli conflict.
_________________________________________________
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]
__________________________________________________
