Extracts.
Tuesday, November 28, 2000, updated at 10:57(GMT+8)
Annan Favors Early Visit to Middle East by
Fact-Finding Team
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan Monday
favored an early visit to the Middle East by an
international fact-finding committee.
At a meeting with former US Senator George Mitchell,
who heads the committee, and three other committee
members, Annan argued that the committee should go
into the region sooner than later, as they could have
a calming influence, a spokesman for Annan told a
press briefing November 27.
Annan briefed the committee members on the current
situation on the ground and offered the support of
the substantial UN presence in the region.
Michell responded that he expected to go to the
Middle East in the near future, said the spokesman,
adding that Annan and the committee members also
discussed the technical support staffing for the
committee as well as its mandate.
The five-member International Committee of
Fact-Finding on Middle East was set up under
agreements reached at the Sharm El- Sheikh Summit in
Egypt in October to investigate the causes of
violence in the Middle East and consider ways of
preventing the recurrence of violence.
The three other committee members who attended the
meeting were former Turkish President Suleyman
Demirel, European Union High Representative Javier
Solana, Foreign Minister of Norway Thorbjoern
Jagland. The fifth committee member, former US
Senator Warren Rudman, was not present.
The spiraling violence in the Middle East that has
lasted almost two months has killed nearly 300
people, mostly Palestinians.
****
Tuesday, November 28, 2000, updated at 12:28(GMT+8)
Chinese FM Holds Talks with Iraqi Deputy PM
------------------------------------------------------
China is ready to expand cooperation with Iraq in the
political, cultural, trade, economic and other areas,
Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told visiting
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz in Beijing
November 27.
Tang and Aziz, who arrived here Sunday at the
invitation of the Chinese government, held talks
Monday afternoon.
In the talks, Aziz informed Tang of the recent
development in Iraq and the stance of the Iraqi
government.
Aziz highly praised bilateral relations with China
and China's principled stand on the Iraq issue,
hoping that China will continue to play an active and
important role in seeking a just and rational
solution to the issue.
The United States has long been hostile to Iraq and
has been trampling on Iraqi sovereignty and
territorial integrity, Aziz said, adding that the
United States intends to overthrow the government of
Iraq instead of trying to solve the Gulf issue.
Tang stressed that the Chinese side is concerned
about the development of the Iraq issue, and China
sympathizes with the Iraqi people for their
sufferings from sanctions.
Any sanction, blockade or strike against another
nation is against the people's will and leads
nowhere, Tang said.
He pointed out that the approaches taken by certain
western countries to set up "no-fly zones" in Iraq
are in violation of the United Nations Charter and
norms of international relations and are in defiance
of Iraqi sovereignty.
Air raids against Iraq have caused serious civilian
casualties and massive property losses, and have
further deteriorated the already intense situation,
Tang said. "China strongly condemns such acts," he
said.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council,
China has always adhered to the principles and upheld
justice on the Iraq issue and has been striving to
remove sanctions against Iraq during the past decade
inside and outside the Security Council, Tang said.
He assured Aziz that China will continue to help
resolve the issue.
Tang and Aziz also exchanged views on Sino-Iraqi
relations and other international and regional issues
of mutual interest.
Dai Bingguo, a member of the Communist Party of China
(CPC) Central Committee and head of the International
Department of the CPC Central Committee, met with
Aziz November 27 morning and exchanged views with him
on the international and regional situation and
enhancement of cooperation between the CPC and the
Arab Baath Socialist Party.
Chinese Vice-Premier Meets Iraqi Deputy PM
Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen met November 27 with
Tarik Aziz, Iraqi deputy prime minister.
Aziz informed Qian of the Iraqi issue and the efforts
made by the Iraqi government to remove sanctions. He
said that the current international situation has
undergone new changes, and Iraq has begun to restore
its role and returned to the Arabian camp.
****
Tuesday, November 28, 2000, updated at 09:57(GMT+8)
Syrian President Meets Lebanese PM on Regional
Situation
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed Monday,
November 27 in Damascus with visiting Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri the current situation in the
Middle East and other issues of common concern.
The discussions focused on the escalating Israeli
aggression against the Palestinian people and the
current inter-Arab contacts, the Syrian Arab News
Agency (SANA) reported.
Hariri flew in from Egypt where he held talks with
Egyptian leaders on the developments of the situation
in the region and the Israeli atrocities against the
Palestinians.
In Cairo, Hariri pointed out that the Israeli acts
would undermine the Middle East peace process, which
had been shattered by the two-month clashes between
Israeli troops and Palestinians in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip.
More than 280 people, mostly Palestinians, have been
killed and thousands more wounded.
The Lebanese prime minister also underscored the
necessity of Syrian military existence in Lebanon,
noting that the Syrian army would start redeployment
after the Lebanese security forces took charge of
their responsibilities.
Hariri is facing the challenge of tackling the touchy
issue of Syria's military presence.
Syria deployed 35,000 troops across Lebanon at the
end of the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war.
On Sunday, Damascus declared its position on the
issue for the first time when Syrian Foreign Minister
Faruk Shareh said that "a decision on the Syrian
military existence in Lebanon is being discussed by
the governments of Syria and Lebanon."
****
Multi-party Cooperative Cause Sees Major Progress in Past Decade Treating
each other with all sincerity and sharing weal and woe. Over the past
10-odd years, major progress has been made in China's multi-party
cooperative cause, presenting an unprecedented situation featuring unity,
stability, inspiration and liveliness.
Members of the various democratic parties and people without party
affiliation have made important contributions to building socialism with
Chinese characteristics by exhibiting their enthusiasm and creativeness.
The multi-party cooperation and political consultation system led by the
Communist Party of China (CPC) has become increasingly important in the
political life of the State.
Ten years ago, with the formulation of the Opinion of the CPC Central
Committee On Upholding and Improving the Multi-Party Cooperation and
Political Consultation System led by the Communist Party of China, the
status of various democratic parties as political parties participating in
the administration of State affairs had been further ascertained.
In 1992, the 14th National Congress of the CPC listed the improvement of
the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the
leadership of the CPC as an important content of the theory of building
socialism with Chinese characteristics;
In 1993, the First Session of the Eighth National People's Congress (NPC)
had the "long-term existence and development of the multi-party cooperation
and political consultation system led by the CPC" written into the
Constitution, which thus became the national will;
In 1997, the 15th National Congress of the CPC incorporated the upholding
and improvement of this system into the CPC's basic program for the primary
stage of socialism.
Over the past dozen years or so, the CPC Central Committee, the State
Council or the entrusted department concerned have held more than 150
consultative conferences, forums and information transmission meetings, far
outnumbering those in previous periods.
A system whereby the CPC Central Committee and the State Council conduct
consultations with democratic parties and people without party affiliation
on questions regarding fundamental policies has basically taken shape.
New progress has also been made in the arrangement of actual official posts
for non-Party personages. In the country's 31 provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities, there are members of democratic parties and personages
without party affiliation serving as deputy governors, vice-chairpersons,
deputy mayors or assistants.
The role of democratic parties in the NPC and CPPCC has been brought into
fuller play. By the end of last year, more than 120,000 members of
democratic parties and personages without party affiliation had been
elected as deputies to people's congresses at various levels, and over
240,000 members of democratic parties and personages without party
affiliation had been invited to serve as CPPCC members at all levels.
Through the election of new officials to the NPC and the CPPCC, in
particular, chairpersons of the central committee of the eight democratic
parties have become for the first time vice-chairpersons of the NPC
Standing Committee or of the CPPCC National Committee.
The channels for democratic parties to participate in the administration
and discussion of State affairs and to exercise democratic supervision have
been further broadened.
Over the past 10 years or more, the various democratic parties, on the
basis of investigation and study, have put forward more than 110 major
proposals to the concerned departments of the CPC Central Committee and the
State Council, many of which have been accepted and produced important
results.
****
South Korean President Calls for Investment in DPRK Visiting South Korean
President Kim Dae Jung urged Monday all East Asian countries to trade with
and invest in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Speaking at the 19th Singapore Lecture organized by Singapore Institute of
Southeast Asian Studies, Kim said improvement in inter-Korean relations and
peace on the Korean Peninsula will provide East Asian nations with numerous
economic opportunities.
Despite the DPRK's economic problems, Kim said, "it has an excellent labor
force, abundant natural resources and beautiful tourist destinations."
"Because of its geographical location, it is a gateway that could provide
us with great economic opportunities in the three northeastern provinces of
China, Russia's maritime province of Siberia, Mongolia and Central Asia,"
said the South Korean president.
He urged all the nations in East Asia, including Singapore, to take "a keen
interest" in trading with and investing in the DPRK.
He said South Korea will do all it can to support such trading or
investment in the DPRK, adding that his country also welcomes joint
ventures with South Korean companies to advance business in the DPRK.
Kim was making a state visit to Singapore from November 25 to 27 after
attending an ASEAN Informal Summit here.
****
Seoul Considers Taking Russian Military Weapons as Loan Repayment South
Korea Monday said it is considering acceptance of Russian military weapons
as repayment for its economic aid to Moscow.
As part of its efforts to retrieve loans extended to Russia, South Korea is
considering purchase of Russian-made military hardware worth US$500 million
including transport aircraft, refueling aircraft, helicopter, military
cadet training planes and hovercraft, a spokesman of the South Korean
Defense Ministry Monday.
It was at the first Joint Commission Meeting on Military Technology,
Defense Industry and Logistics Cooperation between South Korea and Russia
Thursday that Seoul asked Moscow to provide a list of its weapons, said the
spokesman.
Earlier, the South Korean Defense Ministry mulled over accepting Russian
submarines but changed for other weapons after a South Korean inspection
team released a negative evaluation of the purchase of subs.
South Korea bought Russian-made arms in lieu of outstanding loans in the
middle 1990s.
South Korea loaned Russia 1.47 billion U.S. dollars in 1991, one year after
the two countries established diplomatic ties.
Up to date, Moscow has returned 363 million dollars to Seoul, which leaves
outstanding loan at 1.9 to 2 billion dollars including interest.
The two countries held talks on the repayment of the loans in Moscow in
October 1999, and another round of talks is expected to take place in
Moscow next month.
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