China Tuesday lashed out at the US administration's second
presidential report on the Tibet issue, saying it helped separatist
activists of Dalai Lama and violated the principles of
international relations and the three Sino-US communiques.
So said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue at a news
conference Tuesday. It was the second time Chinese officials
criticized the report within two days.
"We urge the United States to stop making use of the Tibet issue
to interfere in China's internal affairs,'' Zhang said. "Instead,
we demand the US side honor its commitments by visible
actions.''
The US government submitted to Congress the first report on the
Tibet issue last May, reports said.
Tibet is part of China and the Tibet issue is an internal affair
of China, she said.
The dialogue channel between the Chinese government and Dalai
Lama remains open and Chinese government's policy towards the Dalai
Lama is explicit, the spokeswoman said.
"The prerequisite principles lie in that Dalai Lama should give
up his pursuit for Tibet independence, stop separatist activities
and declare in public to recognize that Tibet is an inseparable
territory of China,'' Zhang stressed.
Instead of being an ordinary religious figure, the Dalai Lama is
a political refugee who has been involved in long-term separatist
activities and activities that threatened national unity, she
noted.
For this, China opposes any meetings between the Dalai Lama and
foreign leaders, she added.
When asked to comment on Rice's China trip, Zhang said that the
Chinese leaders and US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice
had an in-depth exchange of views on Sino-US ties as well as
regional and international issues during her stay in China.
Zhang said that China time and again reiterated that it and the
United States are both influential nations in the world, and
frequent high-level exchanges and dialogues are of great
significance to promoting bilateral ties and maintaining stability
in Asia and the world at large.
During Rice's visit, Zhang said, Chinese leaders have made
China's stance very explicitly to Rice. China attaches great
importance to Sino-US relations and believes the consensus and
shared interests of the two sides have been continually increasing.
The importance of Sino-US relations has not decreased but has
strengthened as the international situation keeps changing, she
acknowledged.
The Chinese side hoped that the two sides would continue
dialogues to enlarge consensus and reduce disparities in compliance
with the principles of mutual respect, equal treatment and seeking
a common ground while reserving differences, Zhang said.
China once again underlined the important status of the Taiwan
issue in Sino-US relations to Rice. The Taiwan issue concerns
China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to handle Taiwan
issue properly is a crucial issue related to the sound and smooth
development of Sino-US ties, she said, adding that China hoped that
the US side will adhere the "one China" policy, and abide by the
three US-China joint communiques and the commitment to opposing
Taiwan independence.
The Chinese side is convinced that Sino-US relations can have a
sound and smooth development provided the US side follows its
promise with concrete actions, Zhang said.
Rice paid a short visit to China from July 8 to 9, at the
invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. China was the
second leg of Rice's Asian tour, between Japan and the Republic of
Korea (ROK).
Rice also accompanied US President George W. Bush on a working
visit to China in February, 2002.
Answering an inquiry on Singapore's incoming leader Lee Hsien
Loong just-concluded visit to Taiwan, the spokeswoman said the
China-Singapore relations would unavoidably suffer gravely from the
event.
As a result, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the China central bank,
has cancelled a trip to Singapore, where he had been scheduled to
give a lecture, reports said.
"The Taiwan issue relates to the core interests of China,''
Zhang said. "China holds a persistent, formative and clear-cut
position on this issue.''
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lee's visit to Taiwan has
severely violated Singapore's commitment to the one-China policy
and damaged the political base between China and Singapore, she
said.
"Such a move will produce serious effects towards the bilateral
relations and cooperation, and the Singapore side should be
responsible for all the damage,'' Zhang said.
In response to a follow-up question over whether China plans to
recall its ambassador from Singapore, Zhang said the Chinese side
is considering relevant measures according to developments in the
situation.
Reports said Lee flew to Taipei on Saturday and left Tuesday for
what officials described as a private visit, during which he met
with Taiwan officials, including Chen Shui-bian.
In response, Singapore had reiterated on Monday that it adheres
to the "one-China" policy, and does not support Taiwan's
independence, according to local press reports.
Singapore officials have stressed that Lee's visit is "a private
and unofficial visit" and does not in any way change the
above-mentioned policy, nor does it represent any challenge to
China's sovereignty or territorial integrity, reports said.
Commenting the reports that the High Court of Japan's Hiroshima
Prefecture awarded damages last Friday to several Chinese who were
forced to work in harsh conditions at a construction site during
World War II, Zhang said China hopes the Japanese government will
seriously carry out the ruling made by a Japanese court on the
compensation for Chinese laborers, and properly handle issues left
over by history.
The abduction of Chinese laborers was a severe crime committed
by Japanese militarists in the 1930s and 1940s, she said.
Also during Tuesday's press conference, Zhang made the
announcement that President of the Republic of Namibia Sam Nujoma
will pay a working visit to China from July 19 to 26 at the
invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
(Sources including China Daily and Xinhua News Agency, July 14,
2004)
