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��Home>>Politics

Chinese FM meets journalists

www.chinanews.cn 2007-03-07 09:35:10

(Source: chinadaily/Xinhua)

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing talks as he meets the press on the
sidelines of the ongoing National People’s Congress session in Beijing
March 6, 2007.

China urges Japan to face up to history
Mar.6 – China on Tuesday urged Japan to face up to history and handle
properly the issue of Japanese military’s use of Asian women as sex
slaves during World War II.
“Japan should face up to history, take the responsibility, and seriously
view and properly handle the issue,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing as he met the press on the sidelines of the ongoing session of
the National People’s Congress.
“The conscription of comfort women is one of the serious crimes committed
by the Japanese militarists during the second World War,” said Li. “This
is a historical fact.”
He said the Japanese government should take history as a mirror and
looking forward to the future to properly handle the China-Japanese
relations amid the opportunity of the 35th anniversary of the
normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2007, Li said.
“History, in my view, is a strong progressive force,” Li said. “It should
not become a burden to the progression of peace.”
On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan will not
apologise again for forcing women to act as sex slaves for Japanese
soldiers in World War 2 even if a U.S. House of Representatives
resolution demanding an apology is adopted.
Abe’s statement triggered international outrage and contradicted evidence
in Japanese documents unearthed in 1992 that showed that military
authorities worked with contractors to forcibly procure about 200,000
women – mostly from Korea and China – for the brothels.
The remark also cast doubt on a 1993 Japanese government apology to the
sex slaves issued by then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono.
Kono’s 1993 statement also acknowledged that many women were forced into
prostitution, and that the military government was involved in some cases.
The government followed Kono’s statement in 1995 by setting up a fund to
meet victims’ compensation demands. But the fund, which is due to expire
on March 31, is based on private donations and has been attacked as a
government ruse to avoid owning up to the abuse.
Last month, U.S. lawmakers introduced a nonbinding resolution urging
Japan to apologize formally. Japan objected to the resolution, and said
its leaders have apologized repeatedly.
Foreign minister Li Zhaoxing noted that Premier Wen Jiabao’s April trip
to Japan, the first for a Chinese premier in seven years, is of vital
importance to promoting co-operation between the two countries in various
fields.
Li said he believes the upcoming visit will be a complete success.
The foreign minister expressed China’s willingness to talk on the joint
development of the East China Sea to “seek a solution that both sides can
accept, making the East China Sea a sea of friendship, of co-cooperation
and of peace.”
The bilateral ties between the neighbors improved from last October
thanks to the joints efforts of the two sides, noted Li, saying China is
willing to make more efforts to promote the healthy and stable
development of the ties.
Hu to visit Russia
Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Russia will further boost the
China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, Li said.
“At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Hu
Jintao will visit Russia once again,” Li said at a press conference on
the sidelines of the fifth session of the Tenth National People’s
Congress.
This year marks the Year of China in Russia, and the two countries will
hold about 200 activities to promote bilateral exchanges, deepen
traditional friendship and further boost China- Russia strategic
partnership of coordination, Li said.
“To hold the Year of Russia in China and the Year of China in Russia is
an important step to implement the Sino-Russian Good- Neighborly Treaty
of Friendship and Cooperation,” he said.
Top leaders, governments, relevant departments and the peoples of the two
countries are working “hand in hand” to deepen the traditional
friendship, raise the level of China-Russia strategic partnership of
coordination so as to boost the common development of the two countries
and to make new contributions to world peace and development, Li said.
Last year was the Year of Russia in China and more than 300 activities
were jointly held by the two countries, according to the foreign minister.
Harmonious World
Li said that mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal
affairs between countries are the necessary conditions for building a
harmonious world.
He said that Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Chinese government
advocate building a harmonious society and a harmonious world, and China
sticks to peaceful development, harmonious development, scientific
development and sustainable development, which conform to the trend of
times and to the wish and interests of the people.
In diplomacy, China is committed to promoting peaceful coexistence, equal
treatment to each other, cooperation of mutual benefits, and common
development among countries, Li said.
China is also committed to pursuing good-neighborliness and mutual trust,
solving disputes through dialogues and other diplomatic means, seeking
common security and lasting peace, he said.
Meanwhile, China is committed to boosting exchanges and learning from
each other, building a resource-saving and environment-friendly society
and enhancing cooperation in the fields, the minister said.
Darfur Issue
The Chinese government fully supports the consensus reached by the United
Nations, the African Union and the Sudanese government on the Darfur
issue, Li.
President Hu Jintao had clarified the Chinese government’s stance on the
Darfur issue in Sudan, one of the eight African countries he visited
earlier this year, Li said.
The Chinese government has always maintained that different countries can
have friendly negotiations on an equal footing, and China is willing to
hold such dialogues with African countries and all the other countries,
he said.
The Chinese government has kept offering humanitarian assistance to
Sudan’s Darfur area and hopes that the international community tries its
best to lend a hand to the area, he said.
China, apart from seeking self-development, has tried to assist other
countries to the best of its capability. “Our assistance is free of any
political pressure and helps resolve specific problems, a good
demonstration of China’s peaceful development road and constructive role
in the world,” Li said.
While differentiating dialogue from interference, he cited the UN
charter, which clearly stipulates a principle of non- interference in
other countries’ internal affairs.
“It’s hard to imagine the world can maintain harmony and peaceful
development if any country or international organization intends to
interfere in other countries’ internal affairs,” the minister said.
Iran urged to cooperate with IAEA
Chinese FM Li called upon Iran to step up cooperation with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying China hopes to see the
resumption of diplomatic negotiations for regional peace and stability.
“We hope that Iran could cherish its negotiation channels with the
European Union, Russia and other countries,” Li said.
“Nothing else on earth is more precious than peace,” he said, hoping that
all the efforts from the international community could help restore
diplomatic negotiations, and all the actions by the UN Security Council
could boost regional peace and stability.
China would faithfully fulfill its obligation as a member of the
Non-Proliferation Treaty and support peaceful resolution of the Iran
nuclear issue through diplomatic efforts as always, said the minister.
The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany have kicked
off their series of informal talks on Iran’s nuclear program to discuss
the elements of a new sanctions draft resolution aimed at pushing Iran
back to negotiations, according to a latest news report.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution on December 23, 2006,
demanding that Iran suspend uranium enrichment in 60 days. However, Iran
has failed to do so and claimed its nuclear program is for civilian
purposes only.

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