Extracts.
Chinese, US Presidents Talk over Phone.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin and the US President George W. Bush Wednesday
night exchanged views over the phone on terrorist attacks in some parts of
New York and Washington D.C. as arranged earlier.
Bush thanked Jiang for his message of sympathy and condolences over the
terrorist attacks that took place in the United States.
Bush said that international terrorism is a shared threat to world peace,
and he looked forward to working together with President Jiang and other
leaders of the international community to strengthen cooperation in cracking
down on international terrorism.
The US President hoped that his country and China would strengthen
cooperation within the Security Council of the United Nations in this
regard.
Jiang said that the attacks have not only brought about a disaster to the US
people, but also a challenge to the world people who cherish a sincere
desire for peace. The Chinese people, like the Americans, strongly condemn
the shocking terrorist activities.
Jiang once again expressed deep sympathy for the US government, people and
family members of the victims, and heartfelt condolences to the deceased, on
behalf of the Chinese government and people.
He said that China is deeply concerned about the progress of the rescue
work, and is ready to offer all necessary assistance.
He voiced his belief that under the leadership of President Bush, the US
people would overcome the current difficulties, well handle the remaining
problems and resume the social and life order as soon as possible.
He said that China is ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the
US and the international community in combating all manner of terrorist
violence.
Jiang also hoped that the foreign ministers and the permanent missions to
the United Nations of the two countries would strengthen consultation and
cooperation in this regard.
****
Up to 800 Possibly Dead at Pentagon: CNN Report.
Up to 800 people may have died Tuesday when a hijacked commercial airliner
was crashed into the Pentagon, officials said.
Firefighters were still battling a fire on the west side of the 29-acre, 6
million-square-foot building late Tuesday, more than 12 hours after the
crash. Washington hospitals reported 71 people injured, some severely, and
another 100 to 800 were still listed as missing and possibly dead late
Tuesday.
Despite the serious damage caused by the attack, the headquarters of the
U.S. military will reopen Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
said.
"The Pentagon is functioning. It will be in business tomorrow," Rumsfeld
said late Tuesday from a Pentagon briefing room.
An American Airlines flight from Washington to Los Angeles crashed into the
Pentagon with 64 passengers and crew aboard. The fuel-laden jet, which had
just taken off from Washington's Dulles Airport, set the world's largest
office building ablaze and forced thousands of employees to evacuate.
The attack occurred shortly after two other commercial jetliners were
hijacked and flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New
York. A fourth plane that was hijacked crashed in a wooded area in
Pennsylvania.
Casualties were expected to be high, but Rumsfeld released no estimates
Tuesday.
In addition to the "many dozens in the aircraft," he said, "there are a
number of people that they have not identified by name, but have identified
as being dead, and there are a number of casualties. The number has yet to
be calculated, and it will not be a few."
The Pentagon suffered widespread damage on its the building's fourth, fifth
and sixth corridors, and the impact tore a gaping hole in one side of the
building. Firefighters continued to battle the blaze on the building's west
side Tuesday night, describing it as "contained" but not yet under control.
****
Senior Chinese Military Expert Cautions Restraint in Reaction to US Attacks.
A senior Chinese military strategist on Wednesday said no governments should
"react in a rash manner" to the devastating wave of terrorist attacks across
the United States.
Major General Zhang Qinsheng, head of the faculty of operational tactics at
the National Defence University, said the motives for the attacks in New
York, Washington and elsewhere should be discovered first.
"There is still some time, the reason has not been determined yet," he told
reporters on the sidelines of an international relations forum in Beijing.
"No government should react in a rash manner and any government should, in
its actions, comply with the mainstream of the development of mankind," he
added, without elaborating.
US President George W. Bush vowed following the attacks that his country
would seek out and punish those deemed responsible for the terror wreaked on
the World Trade Centre and Pentagon.
Zhang reiterated Chinese horror at the attacks, which seem almost certain to
have killed thousands of people.
"We were shocked when we heard about the news that this could happen in an
era of peace and development, this kind of terrorist act. On this point the
United States and China hold common views," he said.
****
Thousands of Israelis Missing in Attacks in US: Army Radio.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has received a namelist of 4,000 Israelis, who
are believed to be in the areas of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
at the time of the attacks in the United States and have so far not yet
contacted their friends or family, Army Radio reported Wednesday.
The Israeli consulate in New York has set up eight hotline numbers for
people to call for information on missing friends and relatives.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem has also set up an emergency hotline for
Israelis searching for missing friends or relatives in the United States.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disaster rescue unit made up of 120 soldiers
is scheduled to leave for New York City Wednesday afternoon to assist U.S.
authorities in rescue operations.
The Israeli transport flight will be given special permission to land in the
New York area. American airspace remains closed at this time to all except
military flights.
In the meantime, Israelis flags at schools around the nation are flying at
half-mast Wednesday in mourning of the American victims of Tuesday's terror
attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Tuesday night that Wednesday
would be a day of mourning for victims of the terrorist attacks in the
Untied States. Flags on government office buildings are also flying
half-mast Wednesday.
****
Premier Zhu Rongji Meets With Russian President.
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Russian President Vladimir Putin started
talks focused on ways and measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in
all fields in the Kremlin at noon on Tuesday.
The two leaders are expected to exchange views on regional and international
issues of common interest.
Last Saturday, Premier Zhu and his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Kasyanov,
held a successful 6th Sino-Russian prime ministerial regular meeting in
Russia's second largest city of St. Petersburg. They reached a broad
consensus on expanding bilateral cooperation in the aspects of politics,
trade, economy, science, technology and humanities.
Both sides signed a joint declaration and six other important documents on
bilateral cooperation at the meeting, which meant that trade and economic
cooperation between China and Russia has passed its "running-in stage" and
entered a fast track.
****
Chinese Premier Leaves Russia for Kazakhstan
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/zhurongji.shtml> left Moscoa
early Wednesday after a five-day official visit to Russia
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> for the Kazakh
capital of Astana, where he will attend the first prime ministers' meeting
of the Shanghai
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/Shanghai.html> Cooperation
Organization.
During his visit to Russia, Zhu held talks with his Russian counterpart
Mikhail Kasyanov and attended the sixth regular Chinese-Russian prime
minister meeting in St. Petersburg.
As a major and important outcome of the meeting, the two sides signed a
joint statement on the premier meeting and six other cooperative documents,
which marked that bilateral trade and economic cooperation has passed its
"running-in" stage and entered a fast track of development.
The Chinese premier also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian
Federation Council (upper house of the parliament) Chairman Yegor Stroyev
and leading representatives from Russian business and industry circles.
They discussed concrete ways to expand trade and economic cooperation
between the two countries and implement the spirit and principle of the
Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed by
the heads of the two states in July.
The leaders reaffirmed their adherence to defending the 1972 Anti-Ballistic
Missile (ABM) treaty as a cornerstone of global strategic stability and
security and agreed to strengthen the United Nations' leading role in world
affairs by greater joint efforts and to expand their nations' strategic
partnership of cooperation as well as mutual coordination and cooperation on
the international arena.
****
"China Threat", an Utmost Arbitrary Argument: Malaysia Deputy Premier.
Malaysia's Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that although China
will grow into a world great economic power, the "China Threat" Theory is an
extremely arbitrary view, according to sources from Malaysian news media.
The Deputy Premier made the above speech at a summit meeting concerning the
Asian Prospects held in Hong Kong on September 10.
According to him, in the coming 25 years, the Asian-Pacific region will see
many important changes, including the East Timor to become a new country,
the North and South Korea to form into a complete country, and China to
realize the great cause of unification across the Taiwan Straits.
He believed that China will not follow the footsteps of the former USSR due
to China's stronger political structure and more successful readjustment in
economic structure and China does not try to compete the western countries
in arms race as did the former USSR.
He also pointed out that China avoids carrying out the fatal political
reform for it will affect the peace and stability and do harm to the
economic development as well. Although China's booming economy and
opening-up politics may make some countries to be on tenterhooks, it is
however extremely arbitrary to fabricate the "China Threat" Theory. Even if
China becomes a world power in economy in the time to come, the US will
still remain a superpower of the world, he added.
****
Sino-EU Relations Have Bright Future.
The relations between China and the European Union benefit both sides and
will play an important role in safeguarding international stability, Jacques
Santer, former president of the European Commission, said Tuesday in
Beijing.
Santer is here attending the International Forum on China and the World in
the 21st Century.
Santer said that as the second largest recipient of foreign investment,
China has played a major part in the world in fields like communications and
information, and China's entry into the World Trade Organization will have a
positive impact on its economic growth.
He noted that the reform China has implemented has affected Chinese society
in many ways, and China's economic growth over the past 20 years has offered
opportunities to European entrepreneurs.
Sino-EU relations in the 21st century will be more important than the past
25 years for maintaining international order, he noted.
Santer said that changes resulting from globalization create a new Europe
and a new China, and make them much closer, thus supporting China's reform
and its active involvement in international affairs will be conducive to the
interests of Europe.
It is also important for Europe to cooperate with China in international
organizations like the United Nations in the fields of weapons proliferation
and the environment, he added.
Santer noted that the EU and China have shared common interests in a
multilateral trade system.
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