President Hu talks about Taiwan, SARS, RMB

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 22, 2003

President Hu talks about Taiwan, SARS, RMB

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday made clear again China's stance on the exchange rate of the Chinese currency yuan, the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Sino-Japanese relations and economic cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

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The two sides of the Taiwan Straits should engage in dialogue on the basis of the one-China principle, President Hu Jintao Tuesday told Lee Yuan-tseh, Taiwan's delegate to the 11th Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) meeting.

"(Lee Yuan-tseh) came over to express congratulations on the successful launch of our manned space mission during the break of the meeting, when we were all exchanging greetings and remarks with each other,'' Hu said. "And I told him it was a matter of pride for the entire Chinese people, Taiwan compatriots included.''

Hu made these remarks at his press conference held after the conclusion of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. It is the first time that Hu has been present at APEC meetings.

In the press conference, which lasted almost an hour, Hu also answered questions on China's political reform prospects, the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, Sino-Japanese relations and the RMB exchange rate.

When asked what was the most difficult problem he had faced since becoming president in March, Hu said SARS topped the list.

"When thousands of my countrymen were under the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and hundreds were dying from this epidemic, I felt as if my heart was on fire as the state leader of China,'' Hu said with emotion.

"As leaders of China, we could not account to the 1.3 billion people in this country and we would even feel responsible to the people of the whole world if we could not control this epidemic effectively and if we sat idly by and saw the spread of this dangerous disease to other parts of the world,'' he added.

Hu said the new leadership had worked in solidarity, mobilized people across the country, adopted firm and resolute measures and finally brought the epidemic under control. It had won an initial, significant victory against this disease.

"The Chinese people, in the face of this epidemic, were really acting as one person,'' Hu said. "I felt very happy when the World Health Organization announced it would remove Beijing from the list of cities with recent local transmissions.''

The president said he better understood the importance of co-ordinating the development of the economy and the society through the experience of fighting SARS.

He said the country needs to strengthen healthcare in particular and improve its contingency planning mechanisms.

"We believe disasters are our best teachers. I hope we have emerged from this disaster wiser and we have learned more,'' Hu said.

When asked about the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese president said the six-party Beijing talks, which marked an important step toward a peaceful solution to the issue, should be continued.

He hoped all parties concerned could create conditions for the second round of such talks on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultation. "China is willing to maintain dialogue through the diplomatic channel with relevant parties to continue the process of Beijing talks, Hu said.

The legitimate concerns of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should be addressed in the talks so as to seek a solution acceptable to all parties concerned, he said.

On the Sino-Japanese relations, Hu said, generally speaking, the bilateral ties are moving forward and top leaders of the two countries exchange visits regularly.

The president said he himself has met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi twice this year, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress Wu Bangguo also paid a visit to Japan in September.

He hoped both sides would make joint efforts to further promote their relations in the spirit of "taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future."

Hu said his visit to Thailand is "very successful," during which leaders of both sides had in-depth exchange of views on the development of bilateral relations and agreed to elevate their ties to a higher level.

The agreement between China and Thailand on scrapping tariffs on vegetables and fruits, signed in June within the framework of the China-ASEAN free trade area, represents a milestone in the Sino-Thai economic and trade cooperation, and it will boost the progress of establishing a China-ASEAN free trade area, he said.

On the issue of the RMB, Hu said China is studying how to gradually make the RMB freely convertible under the capital account and to effectively ward off risk. The RMB has already become convertible under the current account.

The Chinese president also answered questions concerning China's first manned space flight and the poverty alleviation campaign in China.

By People's Daily Online

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