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China's Diplomacy Made Headway: Foreign Minister
China's diplomatic relations with other countries have made "much progress" in 2000 and "laid a good foundation to further its all-round diplomacy in the new century," said Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.
During the past year, China has "steadily pushed forward its relationship with major powers" in the world, and "spared no efforts" to enhance the friendly ties with its neighbors, Tang said.
China has also strengthened its relationship with developing countries and made great strides to participate in the multilateral diplomacy and promote the regional cooperation, according to Tang, who reviewed China's diplomatic achievements in an exclusive interview with Xinhua Thursday, December 28.
RELATIONS WITH BIG POWERS HAVE SEEN STEADY GROWTHThe Chinese Foreign Minister said the steady growth of relations between China and other big countries has been a notable harvest in China's diplomacy this year.
He said that Sino-US relations have "further improved and developed" in a stable manner this year, noting that the two state leaders met twice and the two sides agreed to push forward the bilateral ties on the track of healthy and steady development.
At the turn of the century, Tang said, the China-US relationship is "at an important juncture."
Now Gorge W. Bush has won the US presidential election, Tang said, adding that "we believe the new US administration will continue the concurrent policy towards China of both the Democratic and Republican Parties."
"We expect to work with the Bush administration to continue to improve and develop the bilateral ties on the three joint communiques," the foreign minister said.
He stressed that "the Taiwan issue remains to be the most important and most sensitive core issue in Sino-US relations," saying that "we hope the new US administration will strictly abide by relevant commitments made by successive US administrations."
Tang urged the soon-to-be-sworn-in Bush administration to "properly handle the Taiwan issue" and to support China's final reunification.
On Sino-Russian ties, Tang said that high-level contacts between the two countries have been frequent, as illustrated by the four meetings between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Putin and the fifth regular meeting between Chinese and Russian premiers.
"On the whole, the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation has been developing smoothly and further deepened," Tang said.
Sino-Russian cooperation on missile defense, arms control, regional security, and multipolarization has been "fruitful," Tang noted, adding that "it will certainly play a positive role in opposing hegemonism and power politics and in facilitating the establishment of a new international political and economic order."
The economic relations and trade between China and Russia have also made great strides, with this year's total trade volume reaching US$7.2 billion, the peak in the past 10 years, according to Tang.
Sino-Japanese ties have maintained a good development momentum,Tang said.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and other leaders have done a lot to promote the friendship and mutual trust between China and Japan, Tang noted.
"Some people in Japan occasionally make irresponsible remarks on the history and the Taiwan issue, and we have to be on high alert," the Chinese foreign minister said.
"China and Japan should work together to maintain their overall relationship and smash those plots aimed at destroying the friendship between the two countries," Tang emphasized.
On China's relations with the European Union, Tang said that the political dialogues between the two sides have increased and bilateral trade and economic cooperation have further developed.
The visit to the EU by Chinese Premier Zhu in June-July and the Third Sino-EU summit have "forcefully driven their long-term and stable constructive partnership," Tang said.
FRIENDSHIP WITH NEIGHBORING AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES STRENGTHENEDGood-neighborliness and cooperation that is mutually beneficial have become the mainstream in China's relations with its neighboring countries, Tang said.
"Now China's relations with its neighbors are very good and very stable," he said.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin successfully visited Laos, Cambodia, and Brunei not long ago, and China and Vietnam signed the agreements on the demarcation of the Beibu Gulf and fishery cooperation, according to Tang.
Now China has signed framework documents on bilateral cooperation with the 10 countries, that are members of the ASEAN, Tang said.
The fifth "Shanghai Five" summit has further enhanced cooperation between China and central Asian countries, Tang noted.
The non-official visit to China by Kim Jong Il, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has furthered the traditional friendship between the two countries.
Premier Zhu's visit to the Republic of Korea in October has also served to push forward the cooperative partnership between the two countries, Tang noted.
The Sino-Indian ties have improved substantially after the Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan's visit to China and the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan has been strengthened further by Pakistani Chief Executive Pervez Musharaf's China trip.
"Consolidating and promoting the friendly cooperation with developing countries have always been a principle underlining China's foreign policy," Tang said.
The China-Africa Cooperation Forum -- Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000 in October can be regarded as "a model in South-South cooperation," Tang said.
"The major documents passed on the conference will serve as guidance for Sino-African partnership in the new century," he added.
CHINA: BOTH A PARTICIPANT AND SPONSOR IN MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY "China's participation in multilateral diplomacy has been unprecedented this year," Tang said.
He listed the major events China has taken an active part in: the millennium summit of the UN, the informal summit of the APEC, the Asia-European meeting, Sino-ASEAN meeting, China-EU summit, and the China-Africa forum.
"On all the multilateral occasions, China has elaborated its own positions on establishing a new international political and economic order, on multipolarization, on globalization, and regional economic and security cooperation," he said.
"China's opinions have gained more and more understanding and support from the international community," Tang said, adding that "it reflects China's image of a responsible big power."
Especially on the UN millennium summit, the top leaders of the five permanent members of the Security Council met for the first time in the history of the UN at the proposal of China, Tang noted.
"That will have a profound impact on the future of the organization," he added.
China will be the host of the ninth informal summit of the APEC and the "Shanghai Five" meeting next year, according to Tang.
He pointed out that China will "play the dual role of both being a participant and a sponsor" in multilateral diplomacy.
"China's role in international issues will certainly rise and its influence will further increase," the minister said.
"China will continue to resolutely carry out its independent foreign policy of peace and to promote the multipolarization of the world."
"China will also take an active stance to face the economic globalization and increase its involvement in international economic, trade, and scientific activities."
"All in all, China will do its utmost to push for the establishment of a just and reasonable international political and economic new order and promote the cause of peace and development of humankind," Tang said.
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