| Saturday, November 10, 2001, updated at 12:12(GMT+8) |
Jiang Zemin Meets UN Human Rights Chief |
 Terrorism is a grave threat to international peace and security and is also a rampant infringement of human rights, China opposes terrorism of any form and it firmly supports anti-terrorism resolutions of the United Nations, President Jiang Zemin told UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson Friday.
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Chinese President Jiang Zemin told United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson Friday that terrorism is a grave threat to international peace and security, and is also a rampant infringement of human rights.
During the meeting, Jiang noted that China had recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of resumption of its legal seat in the United Nations. In the past 30 years, China has made unremitted efforts to enhance the role of the UN in safeguarding and promoting international peace, security and development.
China opposes terrorism of any form and it firmly supports anti-terrorism resolutions of the United Nations, Jiang said, stressing that the United Nations should play its rightful role in resolving the issue of Afghanistan.
Jiang also briefed Robinson on the Economic Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference held in Shanghai in October, noting that the meeting helped the world to better understand China and vice versa.
Through deepening of reform and expansion of opening up, China will continue its modernization and make its due contribution to world peace and development as well as to the cause of human rights.
Robinson first congratulated Jiang on the success of the APEC meeting and China's impending accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). She also expressed her appreciation for China's efforts in strengthening international human rights cooperation.
She said China had in recent years conducted comprehensive exchanges and cooperation on human rights protection with many nations, and by doing so had earned a good reputation across the globe.
The UN human rights office will further its cooperation with China, Robinson pledged.
On the issue of anti-terrorism, Robinson agreed with Jiang's view, believing that the international community should show proper concern for the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan
Human Rights Co-op with UN IncreasesCo-operation in promoting human rights in China gained new momentum Thursday as the nation inked with the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) a plan for related projects in the year 2002.
This is a follow-up to a similar memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last November for technical co-operation to promote human rights in China this year.
"The signing today ... proves that the Chinese Government is serious about co-operation with other countries and the United Nations (in human rights)," said Wang Guangya, China's vice-minister of foreign affairs, after the signing ceremony, adding that it also signals the deepening of China-UN human rights co-operation in the future.
China's willingness to pursue human rights co-operation was also stressed by Vice-Premier Qian Qichen during his meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who is in Beijing for a two-day visit.
The Chinese Government attaches great importance to human rights education, Qian said during a meeting held prior to a seminar on human rights education.
He added that China is willing to strengthen its communications with the international community and further spread legal and human rights knowledge, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman.
The spokesman said that Robinson praised the new co-operative agreement with China, saying that it marks a new stage in co-operation between her office and China.
Concerning the ongoing fight against terrorism, Qian called for co-operation among different countries and highlighted the role of the UN.
Robinson appreciated China's stance, saying that military actions should minimize injuries to the innocent, according to the Chinese spokesman.
Calling the co-operation with China constructive, Robinson, though expressing her concern about some human rights cases in China, said that she appreciated the openness her Chinese counterparts have shown in co-operation.
In another development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao Thursday denied the accusation of "abuse of human rights" in China's Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions in the anti-terrorism process.
"The situation there (Xinjiang and Tibet) is very good," said Zhu at a regular briefing.
"If there are problems out there it is the issue of separatists who want to undermine the situation," Zhu said, noting that separatist-minded East Turkistan and the Dalai Lama separatist clique are involved in terrorist activities in these regions.
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