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Taiwan 'Cabinet' Reshuffle Won't Help Ties with the Mainland. Mainland experts on Taiwan studies did not expect a "cabinet" reshuffle on the island to have a major impact on cross-Straits relations. Due to Taiwan's stubborn mainland policy, cross-Straits ties will not make a turn for the better for a long time to come no matter who heads the "cabinet", they forecast. The comments came after the so-called Taiwan "president" Chen Shui-bian Monday named his chief of staff Yu Shyi-kun as "premier" to replace outgoing Chang Chun-hsiung. Appointment will not have major effect on cross-Straits ties "The appointment will not have a major effect on cross-Straits ties as Taiwan's 'premier' does not dominate mainland policy," said Wu Nengyuan, director of the Institute of Modern Taiwan Studies under the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences. He said Yu will be merely implementing the mainland policy of Chen, who is the island's top policy-maker on mainland policy. Wu, however, said how the new cabinet will implement the mainland policy and deal with cross-Straits issues does affect the development of relations between Taiwan and the mainland. "So it takes further observation to have a clear knowledge of the final impact of the 'cabinet' reshuffle on cross-Straits ties," the director said. Li Jiaquan, a researcher with the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it seems that developing cross-Straits ties will not be a priority for the new "cabinet". Rescuing sagging economy should be Chen's first priority Chen called for "more fighting for the economy and less politics, more communication and less confrontation" at a press conference to announce the appointment, signalling that the new "cabinet" will focus on rescuing the island's sagging economy. As long as Chen does not change his mainland policy and continues to reject the one-China principle, it is hard for cross-Straits ties to warm up no matter who is the "premier", Li said. Beijing has set the one-China principle as the precondition for resumption of any cross-Straits talks. **** China to Establish National Center for Disease Control. In order to respond in a highly efficient way to increasing public health problems, a Beijing-based national center for disease control will be launched, according to the Ministry of Health, to be responsible for monitoring risk factors in the field such as food, working environment, and school, which could endanger the quality of human life and the environment. China will launch its national center for disease control in order to respond in a highly efficient way to increasing public health problems, according to the Ministry of Health. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Beijing, will lead the nation in disease prevention and control, as well as health promotion, said Wang Huanzeng, a ministry official. The center will be mainly responsible for monitoring risk factors in the field such as food, working environment, and school, which could endanger the quality of human life and the environment. The center's surveillance and response measures will also cover infectious and non-infectious illnesses, endemic, occupational diseases, nutrition-related ailments, accidental injuries and poisoning, Wang said. Specialists at the center will deal with serious epidemics and accidents such as poisoning and contamination. Research and development of vaccines, and epidemiological studies of diseases are also to be carried out. The functions of the center are currently played by some departments of the ministry and such governmental agencies as the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine and the National Health Education Institute. **** Myanmar Leader Meets Chinese State Councilor. Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Prime Minister Senior General Than Shwe met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Secretary General of the State Council Wang Zhongyu Monday in Yangon. Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Prime Minister Senior General Than Shwe met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Secretary General of the State Council Wang Zhongyu Monday in Yangon. At the meeting, Than Shwe said Myanmar and China are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and the "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship between the two countries has been long-standing, exchanging friendly as paukphaw and relatives. He noted that President Jiang Zemin's visit to Myanmar last year scored complete success, adding that Myanmar will make friendly deal with China generation by generation. He briefed that Myanmar is making great efforts in the development of agriculture, forestry, livestock and fisheries, stressing that the country pays attention to the development of human resources. He also said Myanmar will never forget the strong support extended by China towards Myanmar in its economic construction and international affairs. On the occasion, Wang Zhongyu noted that for more than 50 years since China and Myanmar established diplomatic relations, the two countries' good-neighborly ties have been continuously developing. Through reciprocal visits at high level, it has pushed the continuous expansion of their economic and trade ties and development of Sino-Myanmar relations, he said. He pointed out that the common views reached between President Jiang and Myanmar leaders during Jiang's Myanmar visit last year has clearly shown a direction of the two countries' relations, enabling the friendly and cooperative ties between them enter into a new stage. "Our visit this time is to implement the common views reached between President Jiang and Chairman Than Shwe and to further promote the economic cooperation between two countries, especially the cooperation in the sector of human resources development," he said. Present on the occasion were Chinese Minister of Personnel Zhang Xuezhong, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Li Jinjun, Myanmar SPDC Vice Chairman General Maung Aye, SPDC First Secretary Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, Foreign Minister U Win Aung and Chairman of Civil Service Selection and Training Board Dr. Than Nyunt. On Sunday afternoon, Khin Nyunt, who also met here with the visiting Chinese state councilor, said Myanmar and China jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, adding that leaders of new generations of the two countries all pay very much attention to the continuous development of Myanmar-China ties. He pointed out that the major achievements made by China in economic construction and the important role played by China day by day in the international affairs have inspired the developing nations deeply. He reiterated that Myanmar will always abide by the "one-China" policy as before. The two sides also exchanged opinions over the common views reached between President Jiang and Myanmar leaders during Jiang's Myanmar visit and specially made further discussions on cooperation in the field of human resources development. The Chinese personnel delegation, led by Wang Zhongyu, arrived here on Sunday on a four-day official visit to Myanmar at the invitation of Khin Nyunt. After its Myanmar visit, the delegation will proceed to Cambodia and the Philippines. **** Gunmen Kill 4 Outside US Centre in India. Four policemen were killed and at least 14 injured in a dawn attack by unidentified gunmen outside the US information office in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta on Tuesday, police said. Four policemen were killed and at least 14 injured in a dawn attack by unidentified gunmen outside the US information office in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta on Tuesday, police said. No staff of the US Information Service office were injured in the attack on the heavily guarded building located on one of Calcutta's busiest streets, Gordon Duguid, press attache in the US Embassy in New Delhi told reporters. "Nothing happened inside the centre. We are waiting for the Calcutta police to provide us with more details," he said. He said embassy officials were in touch with police in Calcutta to get more details of the shooting. Police said the two gunmen, riding motorcycles, sprayed the front of the building with bullets. The centre houses offices to promote American culture and education and a library that is very popular amongst residents of the city. Security outside American establishments throughout the country has been tightened since the deadly hijacked aircraft attacks on the United States in September. **** Arafat Willing to Die for Palestinian Statehood. Encircled by Israeli tanks barring his movement, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Monday he is willing to die a martyr to see the creation of a Palestinian state. Encircled by Israeli tanks barring his movement, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Monday he is willing to die a martyr to see the creation of a Palestinian state. Israel has said it is not seeking to topple Arafat, but after Palestinian attacks last week it has stepped up the pressure on him. Israeli tanks deployed Friday outside his compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, trapping him inside. "I swear to God, I will see (the Palestinian state), whether as a martyr or alive. Please God, give me the honor of becoming a martyr in the fight for Jerusalem," Arafat told a group of Palestinians at his government compound in Ramallah, just north of Jerusalem. In his emotional comments, Arafat said his current trouble reminded him of Beirut, Lebanon, 20 years ago, when Israeli forces surrounded the PLO's offices in the city and eventually forced it to flee the country. "I say to these tanks, the Israeli tanks outside, this is not the first time, and it's not going to be the last time they besiege us," Arafat said. "They should remember what happened in Beirut," he added. "At the end of the Beirut siege, they asked me where I was going. I said, 'to Palestine,' and now when someone asks me where I am going I say, 'to east Jerusalem,' and you will see me in east Jerusalem." Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been stepping up pressure on Arafat and the Palestinians, was the defense minister in 1982 when the Israeli military entered Lebanon. In the latest blow, Israeli forces moved into the West Bank town of Tulkarem on Monday. Israel says its actions are in response to Palestinian attacks. But the Palestinians say there was a month of relative calm after Arafat called for a halt to violence on Dec. 16, and that the Israelis escalated tensions. Israel has been preventing Arafat from leaving Ramallah since early December, demanding he arrest militants behind the October assassination of an Israeli Cabinet member. Arafat acknowledged that after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, "there were many changes in international scales." "The only thing that hasn't changed, and never will, is the Palestinian determination to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," Arafat said to applause. **** Sri Lankan Govt Reciprocates Extension of Tamil Rebel Ceasefire. The Sri Lankan government reciprocated on Monday the extension of ceasefire by one more month announced by separatist Tamil Tiger rebels the previous day. The Sri Lankan government reciprocated on Monday the extension of ceasefire by one more month announced by separatist Tamil Tiger rebels the previous day. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued here that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has requested the Norwegian foreign minister to make public that the Sri Lankan government is extending their unilateral ceasefire to February 24 in order to provide Norway with time to facilitate a mutually agreed ceasefire between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE rebels announced the extension of the their unilateralceasefire on Sunday and asked the government to reciprocate their offer. Both sides are observing a one-month ceasefire which started onChristmas eve last year and is due to end on Thursday. The Norwegians have engaged in brokering peace in Sri Lanka in the past three years but so far there have been no face to face talks between the government and the LTTE rebels. **** Uruguayan Parliament Speaker Meets Chinese Official. Uruguayan Chamber of Deputies President Gustavo Penades met visiting Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Vice Chairman Wang Zhaoguo Monday in Montevideo. Uruguayan Chamber of Deputies President Gustavo Penades met visiting Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Vice Chairman Wang Zhaoguo Monday in Montevideo. In their meeting, Penades said the two countries have frequently exchanged high-level visits and seen the smooth development of political and economic ties since the establishment of their diplomatic relations. The Uruguayan government and parliament attach great importance to cooperation with China in various fields, he said. Wang said the two countries have maintained good cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, science and technology and culture. He thanked Uruguay for its consistent support in international affairs, the Taiwan issue and the so-called Tibet issue. Wang also introduced China's present political and economical situation, as well as the organizational form and function of the CPPCC and the National People's Congress. Wang arrived in Uruguay Monday after a trip to Brazil. He will also visit Argentina . _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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