Extracts.
Taiwan Authorities Should Carefully Think Advantages and Disadvantages
The 20th century witnessed the great glory of the Chinese nation, however,
it also left to the Chinese a regret at the fact that the motherland has not
as yet been reunified. With the arrival of the new century, the heavy task
of realizing the complete reunification of the motherland historically falls
on the shoulders of all the Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad.
The following is an article written by Su Ge, deputy director of the China
Institute of International Studies, about his views on China's
reunification.
****
US-China Bilateral Issues Not Unmanageable
Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Asia and Pacific Affairs Stanley
Owen Roth said in Singapore that there is "a daunting set of issues" in the
US- China relations but these issues are "not necessarily unmanageable. "
Roth, who has completed his term of Assistant Secretary of State for Asia
and Pacific Affair in the Clinton Administration, made the point while
giving a lunch talk to the Singapore Institute for International Affairs
Monday.
Commenting the status quo of the US-China relations, Roth said that
relationship between the US and China is "in much better shape than it was a
year or two ago" but the relationship is "still not inherently stable."
"There is a complex set of issues confronting the new (US) Administration,
any one of which could pose serious challenges to the bilateral relationship
and any combination of which could seriously derail it," he said.
He pointed out that the way the (US) Administration manages the issues will
have a major influence on Chinese attitudes towards the United States,
saying most of China's top leaders value their relationship with the United
States.
Touching on the Taiwan issue, he noted that there have been some positive
developments including the significant formulation by Vice Premier Qian
Qichen to the effect that the PRC and Taiwan are both parts of China.
"I believe the beginning of wisdom is to acknowledge that it's the parties
themselves that are going to have to resolve this dispute and that the
United States should not seek to throw itself in the middle," he emphasized.
He also said that US-China relations could go in very different directions
during the Bush Administration and Southeast Asia is likely to benefit from
good US-China relations.
"It is clear that Southeast Asia has a stake in facilitating good U.S.-China
relations," Roth concluded.
****
Torture and Ill-treatment of Prisoners Prohibited in China
Some Chinese officials were indignant over the assertions of "widespread and
systematic" torture and ill-treatment of prisoners in China in a recent
report released by Amnesty International, saying that "they were
fabricated."
Du Zhongxing, director of the Prison Administration under the Ministry of
Justice, said the Chinese government prohibits the practice of torture,
beating or ill-treatment of prisoners, which is also laid down by the Prison
Law.
In order to ensure the successful implementation of these provisions, the
law enforcement bodies have set up offices in all prisons and special
mailboxes for reports of complaints have been installed to deal with illegal
practices done by the police.
Referring to the cases of Amnesty International report concerning torture
and ill-treatment of prisoners, Du said that "these are sheer rumors."
In recent years, many international organizations and individuals have
visited some prisons in China and they appreciated the achievements and
progress of the prison administration in China.
Du pointed out that just like prisons in other countries, beatings and
ill-treatment of prisoners have not yet been rooted out completely in China.
However, "the law enforcement departments will take immediate action to
punish the jail officers who dare to break the law," Du said.
Wang Yunsheng, director of the Reeducation Through Labor Administration
under the Ministry of Justice, said that the reports that Falun Gong
followers have been beaten to death never occurred in reeducation through
labor institutes.
The police in these institutes respect the dignity of Falun Gong followers
and protect their legitimate rights, Wang said.
According to Wang, no one has been sent to for reeducation through labor
because he is a Falun Gong follower unless he violates relevant laws and
disturbs public order.
As for the reported case of family planners torturing Zhou Jianxiong to
death, Chen Shengli, director of the Publicity and Education Department
under the State Family Planning Commission, said the report by Amnesty
International failed to have consistent facts.
"The report declined to mention the punishments of criminals involved in the
case," Chen said.
According to a verdict document of a local court, right after the occurrence
of the case, four suspects confessed to their crimes to the local police and
were respectively sentenced to 10 years', seven years', five years' and
three years' imprisonment by the local court.
Chen said that the Chinese government announced at the Cairo International
Conference on Population and Development that " voluntariness of the general
public" and "providing quality service of reproductive health" were the
principle in carrying out the family planning policy.
In 1991, the Chinese government laid down that implementing the family
planning policy by force in any form is prohibited.
To date, "providing quality service of reproductive health" has become the
theme of family planing, and the birth rate in China has remained far below
the population replacement level.
"Therefore, theoretically speaking, it is not necessary to resort to force
in carrying out the family planning policy," Chen said.
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