On the afternoon of March 6, 2003, the 1st Session
of the 10th NPC held a press conference at the Great Hall of
the People. At the invitation of Mr. Jiang Enzhu, Spokesman
of the NPC Session, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan took the
questions of Chinese and foreign correspondents on
Chinas diplomatic work and international hotspot
issues.
The following is the full text of the
press conference.
CCTV: When people
look back at the past five years, they generally believe
that China has handled the complex and volatile
international situation with skills and calmness, and
successfully maintained its fundamental national interests.
But there are a few who view China as being a little too
soft and not tough enough. As the foreign minister, how do
you see it? What are your expectations for the future? It
seems that a war on Iraq is imminent. Does China still
believe that it can be
averted?Tang: When we look at the global
picture, we realize that peace and development remain the
principal themes of our time. Just like many other
countries, China is faced with important opportunities as
well as some grave challenges. Chinas foreign policy
is featured by continuity and stability on the one hand, and
keeping pace with the times by giving expressions to the
salient features of our era on the other. China will
unswervingly pursue its Independent Foreign Policy of Peace,
the purpose of which is to maintain world peace and promote
common development.
With regard to your
question on being tough or soft, my view is that diplomats
should have a firm stance on principles and also be flexible
as may be required by the specific issue. When they are
tough, they also need a certain degree of softness. When
they are soft, they also need a certain degree of toughness.
In a word, they ought to combine firmness with flexibility.
What matters most is to best fulfill their duty of
safeguarding the fundamental interests of the country and
the people.
In 2003, China will continue to
strengthen the friendly, good-neighborly and cooperative
ties with its neighbors, improve and develop relations with
the developed countries and further enhance its solidarity
and cooperation with the other developing countries.
Moreover, China will work hard to promote peaceful and
political solutions to hotspot issues, step up international
counter-terrorism cooperation, and seek effective ways to
common development. To this end, we will take a more active
part in multilateral diplomacy.
On the Iraq
issue, I believe the Iraq issue is now at a critical
junction of whether there will be a military solution or a
political one. China's position on this issue is well known
to all, that is, we hope for a political solution within the
framework of the UN Security Council. It was during China's
presidency of the Security Council that members of the
Security Council adopted Resolution 1441 unanimously last
November. The tasks spelled out by that Resolution are not
completed yet, especially the task to continue and
strengthen inspections until they get to the bottom of it.
We should be working hard for a political solution and
trying to avoid war. At this moment, it is absolutely
unnecessary to put aside Resolution 1441 and table a new
one.
After today's press conference, I will
leave directly for the airport, travelling to New York for a
Security Council meeting on Iraq. It is going to be my third
New York trip within a month on the same issue. We will
further emphasize that even if there is only one percent of
a chance for a peaceful solution, China, as a permanent
member of the Security Council, will continue to exert its
utmost to make it come true.
Reuters:
China wants the DPRK nuclear issue to be solved by the
relevant sides through direct dialogue. Does China have any
specific plan for getting the relevant sides together? What
kinds of specific diplomatic efforts has China done in this
regard?Tang: Actually we have
stated China's position on this issue for many times. The
basic point is that we support a nuclear-free and
de-nuclearized Korean Peninsula. The purpose of this is to
maintain peace and stability in this part of the world. To
realize this goal, from a historical and realistic point of
view, the most effective way is for the DPRK and the United
States to talk directly to each other. China is opposed to
the emergence of nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula no
matter in the North or in the South. We believe a
nuclear-free Korean Peninsula best serves the interests of
countries concerned. It is also the best for the DPRK
itself. We have noted that the DPRK has indicated that it
has no intention to develop nuclear weapons and is willing
to be verified through a bilateral channel between it and
the United States, and the DPRK can accept inspections in
this regard. Currently, there is a serious stand-off between
the DPRK and the US, and the sticking point is the deep
mistrust between the two sides. We have all along called for
dialogue and opposed the imposition of pressure or sanctions
against the DPRK on this issue. Because rather than solving
the problem, this can only lead to the further complication
of the situation.
We have been working on
parties concerned to urge them to seek a peaceful solution
through dialogue. Of course, as the international community
is focusing its attention on this issue, many parties have
offered many ideas and suggestions. China has all along
adopted a positive and open attitude to any proposal that is
conducive to the relaxation of tension, stability and
peaceful solution. Currently the key lies in the attitude of
the main interlocutors, namely the US and the DPRK. Their
attitude will decide the development orientation of this
matter.
China is not after headlines or
publicity campaign. What we have been doing has been done in
a down-to-earth manner and there have been initial concrete
results.
AFP:
China said repeatedly that it hopes for a peaceful solution
to the Iraq issue. Just now you also said that even if there
is only one percent of a chance for a peaceful solution,
China will do its utmost to ensure it. Does it mean that
China will use its veto at the UN Security Council? On
whether to use its veto, will China consider what kind of
impact this may have on its relations with the United
States?Tang: I think it is a bit too
early for you to raise this question at this point. We think
regarding the Iraq issue, pathways for political solution
have not been exhausted on the diplomatic stage of the
Security Council. There is still possibility for a political
and diplomatic solution.
You asked how China
will vote. On similar matters, Chinas practice is
always to make independent judgment and judge the matter on
its own merits, follow Chinas principles and foreign
policy and proceed from the fundamental interests of the
Chinese people.
NHK: After Japanese
Prime Minister Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine,
high-level exchange of visits between China and Japan has
been put on hold for a long time. Maybe this is nothing to
people on the streets in the two countries. But from a
diplomatic point of view, this is not normal. My question
is, after the new leadership in China is elected during the
NPC and CPPCC sessions, do you think high-level exchange of
visits will resume in the near future? Can you talk about
your views and hopes?Tang: Japan is
an important close neighbor of China. The Chinese government
has all along attached importance to the good-neighborly and
friendly relations and cooperation with Japan. We are going
to continue to attach importance to our relationship with
Japan in the future. We stand ready to work with the
Japanese side to make sure that our relations develop in a
healthy and steady manner as guided by the three important
documents including the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and in
the spirit of drawing lessons from history and being
forward-looking. Regarding high-level exchange of visits, we
in China have always been positive. Of course, to conduct
important exchange of visits at the top level successfully
and effectively requires necessary conditions and these
conditions need to be created. I have said for many times
that to visit the Yasukuni Shrine in ones official
capacity is no small matter. To say the least, it reveals
the attitude Japans political figures have on the
history of Japans invasion against its Asian neighbors
including China. We have all along maintained that
historical facts should be respected, useful lessons should
be drawn from history and we should have a forward-looking
attitude in developing the good-neighborly and friendly ties
and cooperation between our two
countries.
Xinhua
News Agency: The first question is on Iraq. Yesterday,
France, Russia and Germany clearly stated their opposition
to war. Whats Chinas position on this? If the
United States proposes a new resolution at the UN Security
Council, will China abstain again? The second question: You
visited Africa again early this year. It seems to us that
you visit Africa every year. Then how do you evaluate
Chinas relations with African
countries?Tang: On March 5, France,
Russia and Germany made a joint statement. Chinas
position on Iraq is consistent with their joint statement.
China endorses and supports the contents of their joint
statement. Talking about the vote, I have already made it
very clear and I have nothing to add to it at this moment.
On China-Africa relations, as you all know
that it has become a general practice for the Chinese
foreign minister to visit Africa on his first overseas trip
every year. It has been so for over a decade. Actually it
was started by Mr. Qian Qichen when he was the foreign
minister. This is a good tradition in the Foreign Ministry.
Since I became the foreign minister 5 years ago, I have
visited Africa 9 times, covering almost every corner of the
Continent, not including those trips where I was
accompanying our national leaders. I was deeply touched by
the hospitality and friendship of the African people. In
spite of the difficulties and challenges, the African
Continent is full of hope. More and more African countries
have embraced the trend of self-strengthening through closer
unity. Their cause of peace and development is making fresh
progress with each passing day. Regarding ties with African
countries and other developing countries as a point of
departure of its foreign policy, China has all along
supported African countries in their efforts to safeguard
independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty and
develop the national economy. In this cause, China has
provided them with sincere aid to the best of its ability.
The Chinese government has actively supported the
establishment of the African Union and the formulation and
implementation of the New Partnership for African
Development, forgiven the debts for the poorest and
heavily-indebted African countries, and used its good
offices to help bring peaceful solutions to the hotspot
issues in the Continent. To strengthen economic cooperation,
trade and bilateral political consultation, China and Africa
jointly launched China-Africa Cooperation Forum. The first
ministerial meeting of the Forum in Beijing was a great
success. This year, the second ministerial meeting of the
Forum will be held in Ethiopia.
Aljazeera Channel: China has
successfully used its foreign policy to serve its economic
development. But the foreign policies of other countries
also have impact on Chinas economic development. For
instance, the control of oil resources by some countries
will influence Chinas economy. Will China drastically
change its own foreign policy to adapt to the
situation?Tang: Oil and natural gas
are traditionally regarded as strategic resources. In fact,
Chinas own reserves of oil and natural gas are very
scarce. So every year, we import large amounts of oil and
gas. We have realized this problem a long time ago and
worked out the strategy of diversifying the sources of oil
and gas imports to meet our own need. As the situation
evolves, there may be impact on Chinas oil imports,
but I dont think the impact will be significant.
Weve long since made preparations.
CNN: We have
witnessed many changes in the world and in China, and we are
witnessing sweeping changes in the Chinese leadership. How
are these changes affecting China's foreign policy? For
example, will the new leadership mean that China will change
the way it votes in the United Nations on Iraq, or North
Korea? And if there is a secret Bible of China's diplomacy,
What is it? Is it still the same old Five Principles of
Peaceful Co-existence, or is there a new one?Tang: As a matter of fact, I have
already touched upon your question as I was answering other
questions. Let me emphasize again that China's foreign
policy features continuity and stability. We will continue
to establish and develop normal state-to-state relations
with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of
Peaceful Co-existence. We will continue and unswervingly
pursue the Independent Foreign Policy of Peace. The core of
this policy is to maintain world peace and seek common
development. There will be no change to this.
I suggest that you spend some time reading the
part on China's foreign policy in the political document
issued by the 16th Party Congress. There is very detailed
and clear explanation in that document.
With
regard to the Iraq issue, we think it is not necessary to
introduce any new resolution, because the tasks spelt out by
Resolution 1441 are not completed yet. We have to continue
the inspection until we get to the bottom of it. We have to
continue to work hard for a political solution. Every effort
has to be made to avoid war, because war does not serve the
interest of any country in the world. We get the best proof
in the fact that people around the world have been voicing
their anti-war opinions. A war would lead to catastrophic
humanitarian disaster to the innocent people in the Gulf
region, in the Middle East and also in the world. It will
have serious negative impact on the political and economic
landscape in the Gulf region and in the world. It will also
negatively affect the global economic recovery that is
underway.
Les Dernieres Nouvelles
d'Al: Is there any sort of agreement between France,
Germany, Russia and China concerning coordinating the votes
on the second resolution on the Iraq issue? And also
considering the closer understanding between these four
countries, is there a chance that this better understanding
would influence or bear any significance on the future of
China's diplomacy?Tang: Between the
leaders and foreign ministers of China and other countries,
there are frequent contacts and communications, but there is
nothing like a private agreement between China and any
country. I have said we endorse and support the joint
statement by France, Germany and
Russia.
Cable TV of Hong Kong: When
China considers the Iraq issue, is it a factor for China to
consider too, that the United States might have promised to
make concession on the Taiwan question and in exchange, to
get Chinas support on the question of Iraq? Is Taiwan
one of the factors of Chinas consideration in relation
to the Iraq issue? My second question is about the Basic
Law, Article 23 legislation. There are different views in
the world about the legislation on national security. Some
people are worried that this might affect their work,
investment and free flow of information. Do you have
anything to say to them to remove their
worry?Tang: Secretary Powell once
said that he met or called the Chinese Foreign Minister
almost every week. Indeed, we have stayed in close
consultation on issues like the Iraq and the DPRK nuclear
issue.
Our position on the Taiwan question is
actually very clear and consistent. The key to steady
development of China-US relations is for the US to
appropriately handle the Taiwan question. In handling the
China-US relations, we have to make sure of the following:
Firstly, we have to view this relationship from a long-term
and a strategic prospective. Secondly, we have to deepen
mutual understanding and trust. Thirdly, we must recognize
and respect the differences because differences do exist
between us. The key is to narrow these differences and
broaden the converging points of our common interests.
Fourthly, we must adhere to the three joint communiqués
and the One China policy. The US side must make good its
commitment and well handle the question of
Taiwan.
With regard to the Basic Law Article 23
legislation, I think it is common practice for all countries
to make law to prohibit criminal activities which endanger
national security and unity. It is only natural for the Hong
Kong SAR, as a special administrative region of China, to
make appropriate laws on its own. This is also necessary if
the Basic Law is to be well implemented. This matter falls
into the internal affairs of China and the internal affairs
of Hong Kong as the legislative activities of a local
administrative region of the PRC. The outsiders
shouldnt make irresponsible remarks on
it.
Associated
Press Pakistan: Would you kindly like to comment on
Pakistan-China friendship and their mutual understanding on
the regional and international issues and Pakistans
role against terrorism in the recent years?Tang: China and Pakistan are close
and friendly neighbors, enjoying a long-term and traditional
friendship and cooperation. Our relationship is
characterized as all-weather relationship. There have been
frequent consultations, coordination and cooperation between
China and Pakistan on regional and international issues,
especially those important issues that are of mutual
interests to the two countries. With regard to
counter-terrorism, Pakistan has made a great deal of
positive efforts, especially in the case of Afghanistan. I
believe our exchanges and cooperation in the anti-terrorism
and other fields will continue to move forward. I believe
such cooperation is also in the interest of peace, stability
and development in South Asia.