Chinese Premier's News Conference

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji held a news conference at the Great Hall of the People on March 15 afternoon. During the one and half long hour news conference, Premier Zhu answered questions raised by reporters from various countries on domestic and international issues.

Followed are several questions that Premier Zhu answered at the news conference.

Taiwan issue

``No matter who wins Taiwan 'presidential election', he must not pursue Taiwan independence in whatever forms, '' Zhu said, adding ``this is our bottomline, because it's in the will of 1.2 billion Chinese people.''

``Whoever to pursue Taiwan independence, he will not end up well.''

Premier Zhu said the Taiwan question should not be dragged on indefinitely. He said a Chinese government white paper on Taiwan, released last month, would have not been released, if Taiwan's ``Two-states'' statement had not come out.

Zhu reiterated Taiwan problem is China's internal affairs, and no foreign countries should meddle China's internal affairs.

Zhu mentioned a quote by US President Clinton during his recent key-note speech about China in the Johns Hopkins University: ``There must be a shift from threat to dialogue across the Taiwan Straits.''

Zhu replied, ``Two words must be revised in Clinton's statement.'' That is ``There must be a shift from threat to dialogue across the Pacific Ocean.''

Asked to comment on recent development in Taiwan's ``presidential'' election, Zhu replied it is the affairs of the Taiwan people themselves.

Zhu said the stocks plummeting in Taiwan on Monday reflects Taiwan people's concerns about the current situation. Zhu said Taiwan people are now at a historical crossroads, and Zhu said he believed in Taiwan compatriots's political wisdom to choose the right candidate in order to avoid any escalation of the situation.

Zhu confident US Congress to pass PNTR status for China

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said that he is confident that so long as the US Congress members to exerise duties with good reasons, the US Congress will pass the PNTR status for China.

The PNTR, which is the basis for Sino-US WTO agreement, is a hard-won agreement between the two governments after 13 years of negotiations, Zhu told a press conference in Beijing.

President Bill Clinton has pledged to push the US Congress to pass the bill for China, he said.

``It's a solomn agreement between the two governments,'' Zhu said.

Zhu Rongji quoted a speech by President Clinton that if US Congress does not approve the deal, US will regret it for at least 20 years.

He emphasized that US might regret for tens and hundreds of years, if Congress fail to approve the deal.

Zhu said he hoped the US Congressmen to take wise step and ratify it.

No convertibility of renminbi under the capital account now

Premer Zhu Rongji said in Beijing that the time has not come yet for China to adopt the fully convertibility of the Chinese renminbi under the capital account.

So far, China has realized the covertibility of renminbi under the current account, he told a press conference.

However, due to the imperfect conditions in China with not so much supervision on the fully convertibility of the Chinese renminbi under the capital account, there is no timetable for this measure now, Zhu said.

Premier to discharge all his best to deepen his work

Premier Zhu Rongji said Wednesday in Beijing he will be fully satisfied should the Chinese people think that he "is a clean and honest premier," and "not a corrupted premier."

He said that in the less than year time left for his office term, he will discharge all duty to work better and not to let people down.

Socialized social security system to come soon: Zhu

Chinese Premier reaffirmed in Beijing Wednesday that it will not be long before China introduces a fully-socialized social security system.

China to adopt CDMA systems for mobile phones

China will adopt the CDMA system for mobile phones from the US besides the current GSM system, Premier Zhu Rongji said Wednesday in Beijing.

China's Unicom will be in chage of the work: bidding and others, he said.

Zhu affirmed that it was wrong that China will stop importing the CDMA technology from the United States.

Zhu: "use of force" only targets splitting forces and foreign interference

China's stand on use of force is only targeting on splitist forces in Taiwan and the foreign forces which intend to interferece in Taiwan affaires, Premier Zhu Rongji said Wednesday in Beijing.

Premier Zhu said he will be strict with government work all through the year

He said in Beijing Wednesday afternoon that he is paying more and more attention to financial affairs in China.

For example, in banking affairs, 59 major bank heads have been fired this year, and the work is expected to enlarge, he said.

Zhu to visit Japan this year

Premier Zhu Rongji said he will visit Japan this year.

But his visit does not link with the forthcoming G-8 Meeting, he said in Beijing at a press conference.

China does not intend to engage in the G-8 Meeting, but it will still co-operate with the group, Zhu added.

Anti-corruption to be enforced: Zhu

Premier Zhu Rongji said that China still needs to perfect its laws in order to enforce the ongoing anti-corruption war.

In the near future, the press in China will make public of more anti-corruption cases the government handled, Zhu said.

He said that Chinese people are still not satisfying at the result of the government's anti-corruption war.

However, Zhu said that he was sure that the Chinese Government is not corrupt government at all.

The Chinese judicial departments and government are handling the corrupt cases seriously according to the law, he said.

The government has made much progress in the anti-corruption campaign, he said.

He said that he did not see any clear link between one-party rule and multi-party rule.

Natural gas pipeline lures huge investment

China is planning to build a 4,200-kilometre-long natural gas pipeline from Northwestern Xinjiang's Tarim to Shanghai, which runs across eight provinces and could be completed with two years.

Zhu welcomes overseas investment to the project, and he promised foreign investors could have majority shares in the project. Western project management is also encouraged.

He suggested that overseas investment involving in the project could get quick and good returns.

Zhu said the project is part of China's endeavour to develop the west. The drive is another main step after China's eastern coastal areas get relatively developed.

He also encouraged foreign investment in west region's securities, banking and insurance businesses.

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