US-Taiwan Military Cooperation 'will Harm Sino-US Ties'

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 08, 2003

US-Taiwan Military Cooperation 'will Harm Sino-US Ties'

Any military cooperation and exchanges between the United States and Taiwan will harm Sino-US relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said at a regular news conference in Beijing Tuesday.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

US plans to participate in military exercises with Taiwan would damage the country's relations with China, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"We have read relevant reports from the media and I want to point out here that any kind of military co-operation or exchanges between Taiwan and the US is a violation of the three Sino-US joint communiques and also damages China-US relations,'' ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.

China Times, a local newspaper in Taiwan, reported last week that the US military will participate in Taiwan's annual military drills later this year for the first time in 20 years.

The newspaper quoted an unidentified Taiwanese military source as saying that officers from the US Pacific Command will be in the Taiwanese military command centre in Taipei during the drills, called "HanKuang-19'' military exercises.

"The Chinese side has already made solemn representations to the US side urging it to abide by its commitments made to the Chinese side on the question of Taiwan and stop any military exchange with Taiwan,'' Zhang said.

When asked to comment on the report that two US aviation giants -- Boeing and Hughes -- provided China with sensitive technology on inter-continental ballistic missiles, Zhang said that it was unnecessary and impossible for the Chinese side to gain satellite rocket and missile technology from US companies.

"We think accusations that US companies inappropriately transferred technology to China by their use of Chinese carrier rockets are not consistent with reality and are ridiculous,'' Zhang said.

The US State Department recently laid 123 charges against Boeing Satellite Systems and Hughes Electronics Corp for allegedly passing sensitive technology to China in the 1990s, violating export controls and restrictions.

The companies have denied any wrongdoing in the case.

Turning to the Iraq issue, Zhang said that China insisted on a diplomatic and political solution to the issue within the framework of the United Nations (UN).

Zhang indicated that currently inspectors from two relevant organizations of the UN were continuing their work in Iraq, noting that the inspection was being carried out in line with UN Security Council requirements and Iraq had given its full co-operation.

"And then the Security Council should draw its conclusions based on the inspectors' report,'' Zhang said.

One Chinese person died in the suicide bombings in Tel Aviv on Jan. 5, one was missing and seven wounded, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman confirmed.

The Chinese casualty figures had been "repeatedly" checked by the Chinese embassy in Israel, Zhang said at a regular press conference. Among the seven wounded, three were seriously injured.

China strongly condemned the suicide bombings and continued to oppose the "eye for an eye" response to violent attacks, Zhang said.

China appealed to Israel to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid escalating the violence, she said.

She said the Chinese government was greatly concerned at casualties among Chinese contract workers. Embassy staff rushed tothe spot to appreciate the situation more clearly and Pan Zhanlin,Chinese ambassador to Israel had visited the wounded people in hospital.

The embassy was working hard to handle matters relating to those Chinese workers killed and injured during the incident, the spokeswoman said.

She said the embassy had notified people intending to go to Israel to be careful about their personal safety there.

She said Israel was also greatly concerned over the Chinese casualties and said it would spare no effort to treat the wounded and compensate the relatives of the dead.

Two suicide bombings in Tel Aviv on Jan. 5 killed 22 people andwounded more than 100.

It was one of the most serious attacks in Israel in the past two years and also the third time Chinese nationals had been killed in such attacks.

Two Chinese workers were killed on April 12, 2002, and another two on July 17. Altogether six were wounded in attacks last year.

The Chinese government stands for settling the nuclear issue in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) through dialogue, Zhang said.

She summarized China's stance on the DPRK nuclear issue in three points at a regular news conference. Firstly, China stands for safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean peninsular; secondly, it adheres to the realization of the peninsula's non-nuclearization and; thirdly, China hopes that the parties concerned would resolve the DPRK nuclear issue through dialogue.

China has made active efforts to find a solution, she said, noting that it had kept in frequent contact with the relevant parties and played a constructive role.

Zhang noted Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan had discussed the issue by phone with his counterparts in the countries concerned before the new year, and that on Jan. 3 he had a phone talk with British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jack Straw.

Meanwhile, she added, China consulted and had talks with the relevant countries through different channels.

China hoped that the DPRK nuclear issue could be resolved through dialogue so as to ease the present tension on the Korean Peninsular, the spokeswoman said.

Questions?Comments? Click here

US to Take Part in Taiwanese Military Drills: Report

Death Toll Rise to 20 in Tel Aviv Bombing Attacks ( 4 Messages)

China Lodges Formal Representation to Japan About Diaoyu Islands ( 8 Messages)

Can Weapon Inspection Avoid the Outbreak of War? ( 11 Messages)

Premier Zhu Urges Better Foreign Exchange Management ( 4 Messages)

China's Space Program on Course: Official ( 9 Messages)