Extracts.
China, Vietnam Cooperate in Drug Prohibition.
The Public Security Department of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has
reached agreement with the Vietnamese Ministry of Police on drug
prohibition.
The Public Security Department of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has
reached agreement with the Vietnamese Ministry of Police on drug
prohibition.
Lu Bing, deputy secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional
Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, met with a delegation from the
Vietnamese ministry in Nanning Saturday afternoon.
He said that the governments and peoples of China and Vietnam want to
prohibit the trade in and the use of drugs. Although Guangxi has made
progress in recent years by establishing 20 "drug- free" cities and
counties, a quarter of the total territory, drugs still create problems.
Efforts should be made to stop illegal trade from neighboring countries,
since all drugs are from outside China, Lu noted. Therefore, it is of
importance to work with its neighbors.
****
'Johannesburg Declaration' Calls on Overseas Chinese Worldwide to Promote
Peaceful Reunification.
According to the news from Johannesburg the All Africa Association for
Peaceful Reunification of China was inaugurated on January 19 and at the
same time we saw the conference on the Peaceful Reunification of China being
held here. The conference was wound up with a "Johannesburg Declaration",
calling on the Chinese expatriates and overseas Chinese all over the world
to oppose "Taiwan Independence" for promoting the peaceful reunification of
China.
According to the news from Johannesburg the All Africa Association for
Peaceful Reunification of China was inaugurated on January 19 and at the
same time we saw the conference on the Peaceful Reunification of China being
held here. The conference was wound up with a "Johannesburg Declaration",
calling on the Chinese expatriates and overseas Chinese all over the world
to oppose "Taiwan Independence" for promoting the peaceful reunification of
China.
The delegations on both sides of the strait headed respectively by Li Zupei,
vice-president of All China Overseas Chinese Federation and Mr. Liang
Su-yung, Head of Taiwan Straits Peaceful Reunification Association attended
the conference. Present at the conference were also some 500 sons and
daughters of the Chinese nation, representatives of the Chinese expatriates
and overseas Chinese from other provinces of the South Africa
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/southAfrica.html> and from other
continents and regions worldwide. Mr. Donald Wong, Chairman of Transvaul
Chinese Association of South Africa was elected president of All Africa
Association for Peaceful Reunification of China at the conference.
At the opening ceremony of the conference Mr. Wong was the first to address
that the overseas Chinese and Chinese expatriates all over the world have
formed their own communities. Though many of them were born in where they
are now and cannot speak Chinese they all find their roots in China,
recognizing they are the Chinese and they are very much concerned about the
compatriots in Taiwan, holding that Taiwan is part of the Chinese territory.
"We often say we are Taiwanese, or Shanghainese or Cantonese but we are all
Chinese. Let's take to heart Dr. Sun Yat-sen's testament and unite closely
together."
Mr. Li Zupei first expressed his congratulations on the establishment of All
Africa Association for Peaceful Reunification of China, holding that its
setting-up has a profound significance. "It indicates that the overseas
Chinese in Africa like all other Chinese living overseas are very much
concerned about the peaceful reunification of the motherland and they unite
together to promote actively the cause of peaceful reunification of China.
This has once again expressed in a forcible way that the peaceful
reunification of China is favored by both the Chinese people and by all
other Chinese living abroad.
The conference is the seventh one convened by the Chinese on this globe. It
is preceded by the convocation of the six such meetings held in China's Hong
Kong, Berlin in Germany, Panama in mid-America, San Francisco and Washington
in the USA and Tokyo in Japan for the reunification of China in opposition
to the "Independence of Taiwan". "More than 30 million Chinese all over the
world getting together once again for a unanimous opposition to "Taiwan
Independence" and advocacy for reunification of China is of great political
significance, which will certainly make great contribution to and exert
profound influence on the peaceful reunification across the strait." He
believed, "the reunification of the Chinese nation sees a bright future
ahead."
The overseas Chinese in South Africa have always nurtured a fine tradition
of patriotism, pointed out Liu Gui, Chinese ambassador to the South Africa,
and they have been doing a great deal in promoting the reunification of the
motherland and national rejuvenation. This time, they set off to establish
the All Africa Association for Peaceful Reunification of China. It is a kind
of meritorious deeds that are sure to be revered by the latecomers.
Also addressed at the conference were Wang Kebin, President of the
Association for Peaceful Reunification of China and Zhang Manxin, President
of the European Association for Peaceful Reunification of China and others.
The inaugurating conference has also received some 26 letters of
congratulations from all over the world.
At the conference for the peaceful reunification of China held that
afternoon, Tang Shubei, director of the Research Center on the Relations
across the Strait made a speech. It consists of the four major parts: One
China principle is the basis of the relations across the Taiwan strait; To
adhere to the one China principle caters to the interest of the people in
Taiwan; the 1992 consensus expressing the one-China principle as reached
between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait and the
Strait Exchange Foundation has embodied the equal status for negotiation
across the strait and the forces for "Taiwan Independence" will be difficult
to get anything out of it and the reunification of China is a great trend in
the world.
At the closing ceremony the " 'Johannesburg Declaration' was announced
jointly by the overseas Chinese and Chinese expatriates all over the world
for the peaceful reunification of China'. The declaration pointed out: the
activities conducted on the African Continent in opposition to the "Taiwan
Independence" and for the Reunification of China have once again expressed
the strong wishes of over 30 million Chinese living abroad for the early
reunification of China in opposition to the "Independence of Taiwan". The
declaration held that the conference has reached the following three points
in common: First of all, the early realization of peaceful reunification of
China is where lies the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation, and we
appeal that both sides of the strait will on the one-China principle put an
end to the past faults and antagonistic state of affairs across the strait
as early as possible to start the talk for the realization of peaceful
reunification of China. This is a common expectation of the Chinese people
on both sides of the strait and all the Chinese living abroad. Secondly, to
expand economic and cultural exchanges across the strait so as to create
favorable conditions for the peaceful reunification of the motherland. The
further expansion of economic cooperation across the strait will be
complimentary to and benefit each other, that is conducive to Taiwan's
shaking off its predicament. The "Cultural Independence" advocated by the
Taiwan Authority and the forces for "Taiwan Independence" will get no
support from among the people. And thirdly, Resolutely oppose to any
disruptive forces from without in an attempt to sever China. In this world,
there is only one China. The motherland's mainland and Taiwan belong to this
China and no separation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity
will be allowed.
****
'One-China' Policy Vital for Dialogue: Official
A senior Chinese official said over the weekend in Washington that any
cross-Straits dialogue must be based on the 1992 consensus and on the
acceptance of the one-China principle.
A senior Chinese official said over the weekend in Washington that any
cross-Straits dialogue must be based on the 1992 consensus and on the
acceptance of the one-China principle.
"Under that premise, anything can be discussed," said Zhou Mingwei,
vice-minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office under China's State Council.
He said the one-China principle is the basis for launching cross-Straits
dialogue and negotiations, improving cross-Straits relations, promoting
exchanges, finally settling the Taiwan question and achieving peaceful
reunification.
Under the one-China principle, Zhou said, the two sides may shelve the
dispute over the political implications of one China, and could respect and
identify each other. Otherwise differences between the two sides could lead
to disputes, contradictions and even conflicts.
Under the one-China principle, "there is only one China in the world, both
the mainland and Taiwan belonging to one China. And China's sovereignty and
territorial integrity are indivisible," he said.
He said that China promotes this principle not to enlarge differences, but
to resolve them.
Zhou said the reason for the deadlock in cross-Straits relations is that
Taiwanese authorities have neither accepted nor faced the existing 1992
consensus. They also have shown no willingness to accept that the one-China
principle must be the premise of cross-Straits dialogue, Zhou said.
Zhou arrived in New York last Sunday for a seven-day visit to exchange views
with US Government officials and scholars on the Taiwan question and other
issues of common interest.
****
China to Raise Machinery, Electronic Goods Exports by 10 Percent.
Despite unfavorable international economic environment and many
uncertainties, China aims to increase the exports of machinery and
electronic products, its largest export items, by 10 percent this year, a
leading trade official said in Beijing Sunday.
China aims to increase the exports of machinery and electronic products, its
largest export items, by 10 percent this year, a leading trade official said
here Sunday.
Shi Guangsheng, minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, told a
national conference that although China faces an unfavorable international
economic environment and many uncertainties, there is still room for growth
in the export of machinery and electronic products.
Expected growth well-grounded
Shi said that he based his confidence on the fact that China- made
machinery and electronic products now have a higher technical level, and the
export of such products to the traditional markets such as the U.S., Japan
and the European Union have kept growing steadily.
In addition, the export of such products to other markets has surged over
the past few years. So far, the number of countries and regions whose
imports of China-made machinery and electronic products have reached 100
million U.S. dollars has topped 60.
China exported a total of 118.8 billion U.S. dollars-worth of machinery and
electronic products last year, up 12.8 percent. The figure accounted for
44.6 percent of the country's total exports which grew by 6.8 percent.
The turnover of machinery and electronic products worldwide hit 3.1 trillion
U.S. dollars last year, and China only took a share of 3.8 percent, a
situation that Shi described as unsuitable for China's economic strength and
global trading status.
Supporting measures to be taken
Chang Xiaocun, director of the ministry's Department of Machinery and
Electronic Import and Export Products, said, " Considering the fact that the
world economy has entered a recession and there are many uncertainties
ahead, it is very likely that we will realize the goal of 10 percent growth
this year."
To ensure the growth, Chang said, China is to take a series of supporting
measures in the areas of finance and technical upgrading, and make great
efforts to explore new markets.
Imports also stressed
Meanwhile, China is to increase the imports of machinery and electronic
goods this year, following a growth of 17.2 percent last year, said the
director.
China has cut its customs duties across the board following its entry into
the World Trade Organization, and the country's economy is expected to keep
growing at a stable rate, he said.
Major machinery and electronic products to be imported will cover high-tech
and new technological products, key equipment and raw materials that China
is short of, he said.
China total imports and exports of machinery and electronic products reached
239.31 billion U.S. dollars-worth last year, up 15 percent. Imports of these
products rose 17.2 percent to 120.5 billion U.S. dollars-worth.
Motor vehicles, medical apparatus and instruments, and environmental
protection equipment were among the 70 kinds of imported machinery and
electronic products whose import volume each topped 100 million U.S.
dollars.
Last year, the imports of high- and new-tech machinery and electronic
products stood at 62.6 billion U.S. dollars, rising by 22.4 percent and
accounting for 97.6 percent of China's total high-tech imports.
About one-third of the imports were handled by state-owned firms.
Analysts attributed the rapid growth to China's pro-active fiscal policy,
the start of the campaign to develop the country's western region and the
policy of expanding domestic demand.
The machinery and electronic products imported from the Asian market last
year increased by 9.9 percent to 71.79 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for
59.6 percent of all such imports.
Currently, China's main sources of imported machinery and electronic
products are Japan, the European Union, the United States, Taiwan and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Imports from these places accounted
for 77.5 percent of last year's total.
****
China Begins Three Gorges Reservoir Bed Clean-up.
Boom! Boom! Boom! A series of explosions blasted away a building in the
reservoir area of China' s Three Gorges Project at 13:40 hours Sunday,
marking the start of the countdown to water storage and power generation at
the Three Gorges Project.
"This is the prelude to evacuation on a broader scale and the countdown to
water injection and power generation," said Gan Yuping, deputy mayor of this
western China metropolis and deputy director of the Committee for the
Construction of Three Gorges Project Under the State Council.
Xue Fengsong, an explosives expert, said that all the debris will be shipped
to a designated place and buried deep underground. Meanwhile, ancient
bas-reliefs have been cut from a cliff at Qutang Gorge, one of the Three
Gorges, and transported to a safe site about 600 meters downstream.
This was the first batch of ancient cultural relics to be moved from the
construction site of the Three Gorges Project, the largest of its kind in
the world. Not far from the same cliff, excavation of the ruins of a city of
the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) is well under way.
The city wall of the Fengjie County town, ancient tombs and typical ancient
houses will also be moved above the reservoir water line before the county
is submerged.
The relocation work drew journalists from dozens of local and overseas media
organizations, as well as a large crowd of on- lookers.
The demolished building was that of the Yong'an Township Government, which
was built 20 years ago. It collapsed in a matter of seconds. Soon
afterwards, newly appointed county head Fei Wenbin and his colleagues headed
for their new office building, which is 1,000 sq. meters larger than the
original one.
The Fengjie County Thermal Power Plant, which was also demolished Sunday,
had been closed for causing heavy pollution. Its 300 workers had been
assigned new jobs and the retired workers receive their pension once a month
at the county social security bureau, said the factory's old director Liu
Keming.
Construction of the Three Gorges Project will inundate 632 sq km of land.
When the dam is completed in 2009, 1,100 villages will be submerged. One
third of the 1.03 million residents have already moved to new homes in
resettlement villages. Another 100,000 people are expected to move out this
year. A number of new cities for resettlers have been built on both sides of
the Yangtze River.
At the new site of the Fengjie County seat, three schools have already begun
to recruit students. Two hospitals and several department stores have opened
there.
The largest-scale rescue of cultural relics in Chinese history has entered a
critical stage. In order to save the most important cultural relics before
the first-stage water storage of the Three Gorges Dam starts in June 2003,
archaeologists from across the nation are working day and night at some
1,000 sites of cultural relics.
"The resettlement towns will house as many vestiges of ancient civilization
as possible," said Shao Weidong, an official in charge of the archaeological
work at the Three Gorges.
****
Israel Takes Over West Bank Town.
Israeli tanks took control of the West Bank town of Tulkarem on Monday, a
local governor said, marking the largest raid of a Palestinian town in 16
months of fighting. Hours earlier, Palestinian protesters marched by the
thousands to protest Israel's blockade of Yasser Arafat.
Israeli tanks took control of the West Bank town of Tulkarem on Monday, a
local governor said, marking the largest raid of a Palestinian town in 16
months of fighting. Hours earlier, Palestinian protesters marched by the
thousands to protest Israel's blockade of Yasser Arafat.
The governor of Tulkarem, Izzedine Sharif, said tanks entered the town from
all directions before dawn, as four helicopters flew above. Another
Palestinian security official said about 100 tanks and armored personnel
carriers participated in the raid.
Sharif said soldiers imposed a curfew, then moved from house to house,
arresting dozens of suspected militants.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
In 16 months of fighting, Israeli troops have repeatedly entered Palestinian
cities, taking control of some neighborhoods for limited periods. Monday's
raid marked the first time that forces took up positions in an entire town.
Troops also surrounded the two adjacent Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee
camps, apparently preparing to enter, the governor said.
The raid came in reprisal for an attack by a Palestinian militant on a
banquet hall in Israel last week. The assailant killed six Israelis before
being shot dead by Israeli police.
The government of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has confined Arafat to
Ramallah since December, saying he will not leave until the Palestinian
Authority arrests the assassins of an Israeli Cabinet minister. Israel
tightened its grip Friday, moving tanks and armored personnel carriers just
outside the gates of Arafat's office.
On Sunday, several hundred Palestinian journalists and academics who support
Arafat's Fatah movement marched to the Palestinian broadcasting center
destroyed in an Israeli explosion a day earlier.
****
Musharraf Sees Little Possibility of Pak-India War.
"I don't think there can be war, unless there's some mad action," Pakistani
President General Pervez Musharraf has said.
"I don't think there can be war, unless there's some mad action," Pakistani
President General Pervez Musharraf has said.
Musharraf made the remarks while responding to a question that if there
would be war between India and Pakistan in an interview with Newsweek, the
local press reported on Sunday.
"But, there is always a possibility," he stated, adding that India has
deployed the bulk of its forces along the border in a high state of alert.
Musharraf agreed that Kashmir remains to be the "world's most worrisome"
dispute.
A risk of nuclear conflict between Pakistan and India will remain unless the
core Kashmir issue is resolved because one of the most serious conflicts in
the world is Kashmir, Musharraf said when asked that some people believe
this region of the world has the highest risk of nuclear war.
"The dispute has been going on for almost 50 years. Both countries being
nuclear-capable, certainly one realizes this must be dangerous," Musharraf
said.
He said, "We have to resolve the core issue, otherwise this danger remains.
We must resolve the core issue."
Asked if he gave Colin Powell a message to take to India, he said, "Yes, I
told him that we are for peace with India. (We are in favor of)
reconciliation, dialogue, moving forward on Kashmir. We can resolve the
issue through negotiations."
****
Important Move to Strengthening Construction of Party's Work Style:
Editorial.
A new phase is appearing in the construction of the Party's style of work
through the efforts of the whole Party after the Sixth Plenary Session of
the 15th Party Central Committee. The "Opinions of the General Offices of
the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Further Simplifying
Conferences and Documents" grasps the outstanding problem in the
construction of the Party's style of work, which has received strong
reactions from cadres and the masses, lays down explicit stipulations and
sets concrete requirements.
A new phase is appearing in the construction of the Party's style of work
through the efforts of the whole Party after the Sixth Plenary Session of
the 15th Party Central Committee. The "Opinions of the General Offices of
the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Further Simplifying
Conferences and Documents" grasps the outstanding problem in the
construction of the Party's style of work, which has received strong
reactions from cadres and the masses, lays down explicit stipulations and
sets concrete requirements.
This is an important move for implementing the spirit of the Sixth Plenary
Session and strengthening and improving construction of the Party's style of
work. Leading comrades at all levels must, in the light of the realities of
their own regions and departments, resolutely implement the spirit of the
document and carry it out in real earnest, they must make up their minds to
simplify conferences and documents and improve the style of work in this
regard.
In the aspects of reducing the quantity of conference activities, cutting
down the scale of conference activities, exercising strict control over
expenses on conference activities, setting strict procedures for reporting
conference activities to the higher level for approval; the principle for
leading comrades to attend a conference and the procedures for reporting to
the higher level for approval of inviting leading comrades to attend a
conference; and improving news reports on leading comrades attending
conference activities; vigorously reducing the quantity of the documents
issued, further narrowing the scope for the distribution of documents or
bulletins, the sending of official documents to other organizations in
accordance with subordinate relationship and limit of authority and the
great efforts made to improve the quality of documents and bulletins, etc.,
the "Opinions" purposefully sets forth clear, concrete and practicable
measures and methods, so that there are rules to abide by and basis to
follow in simplifying conferences and documents and conveniences are
provided for inspection and implementation.
These stipulations, measures and requirements stress that leading
organizations and leading personnel should take the lead to do so, which is
a demonstration of the central authorities' determination to exercise strict
administration of the Party and the government.
In recent years, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have
repeatedly stressed the need to improve the style of work, to go deep into
reality, to simplify conferences and documents in real earnest, and have
adopted some practical measures with definite, satisfactory results,
however, the situation characterized by too many conferences, documents and
bulletins has not been fundamentally changed. There are three main reasons
for this situation:
First, the lack of adequate ideological attention. Although leading
organizations and leading personnel have noticed the problems of too many
conferences and documents and have been aware of the need to simplify
conferences and documents, ideologically, however, they still lack adequate
understanding of the seriousness and harmfulness of "a mountain of documents
and a sea of meetings", they fail to understand the question from the high
plane that concerns the images of the Party and the government and concerns
the blood-and-flesh ties between the Party and the masses.
Second, failure to play adequate exemplary roles. The serious situation of
formalism and bureaucracy existing in the work of some leading organizations
and leading cadres. In carrying out their work, they are accustomed to
assessing work by the standard regarding whether a meeting has been held, a
document has been issued and a leading comrade has delivered a speech, and
they are accustomed to the practice of implementing the spirit of a
conference by simply holding a meeting and implementing the spirit of a
document by issuing another document of their level.
Third, failure to exercise effective supervision and implementation.
Although many stipulations have been laid down on the simplification of
conferences and documents, due to the situation featuring many arrangements
and less inspections long existing in this field of work, some have failed
to grasp the work firmly, some not really grasp it, some simply do not grasp
it. To remedy this, we must further enhance our understanding, insist that
leading cadres and leading organizations at all levels take the lead in
doing related work, intensify supervision and inspection and regard
simplification of conferences and documents as a long-term work and grasp it
unremittingly.
Simplifying conferences and documents is conducive to overcoming formalism
and bureaucracy, improving methods of leadership and work, urging leading
cadres at various levels to devote more energy and time to thinking of major
events and taking stock of the whole situation, going deep into the masses
and reality, concentrating efforts on studying and solving major problems
cropping up in development and stability.
Simplifying conferences and documents does not mean abandoning conferences
and documents, but rather it means the need to simplify unnecessary
conferences and documents, to further improve the quality of conferences and
documents. Leading cadres and leading organizations at all levels must
exhibit a high sense of political responsibility and mission, do solid work
single-mindedly, so that conferences and documents can solve problems,
become effective, and enhance their guidance role and authority.
The "Opinions" was published at the beginning of the New Year. As a rule,
this is the peak period for the holding of conferences and the issuance of
documents. It is of important significance to earnestly implementing the
"Opinions", further simplifying conferences and documents and improving the
style of holding conference and issuing document. Conscientiously putting
the requirements of the "three represents" into practice and ensuring
success in the work of simplifying conferences and documents in real earnest
will definitely help strengthen the confidence of the whole Party in raising
construction of the Party's style of work to a new level.
_________________________________________________
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