On 23 May 2002, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan announced the coming visits to China by the Prime Minister of Greece and the Vice Premier of Turkey.

Q:  According to your statement yesterday, the 5 people trying to break into the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang have been properly settled.  But the Japanese side indicated that the two sides still need to have further consultation about the question related to the international law.  I wonder if China is willing to conduct such consultation with Japan.

A:  I have repeated China’s principled position.  Yesterday, China has appropriately handled the 5 people according to the international law, domestic law and in humanitarian spirit.  China’s dealing with the 5 people is exclusively within its sovereignty.  There is no need for China to consult with other countries. Other countries have no right to interfere.


Q:  You must have noticed that India and Pakistan are at the brink of war.  Yesterday, Pakistan offered again to talk with India, but received no active response from India.  During the visit to Kashmir yesterday, the Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee talked about a war with Pakistan.  Has China taken any diplomatic steps with India to prevent the war?  What is China’s comment on the latest development in Kashmir?

A:  We have taken note of relevant reports.  As a close neighbor and friend to India and Pakistan, China shows deep concern.  We sincerely hope that India and Pakistan could take the peace, stability and development of South Asia as priority, exercise restraint and peaceful settle the dispute through dialog and negotiation.  We have stressed on many occasions that the overall interests of South Asia including that of India and Pakistan depend on this exactly.

Concerning the Kashmir question, China’s clear-cut position maintains that it is hoped that parties concerned should find a fair and rational solution to this historical leftover through peaceful means.


Q:  The “violation of consular sovereignty” raised by the Japanese side has not been solved.  Will there be any consultation between the two sides?  I wonder whether China’s unlikeness to have consultation means there is no problem waiting to be resolved.

A:  We cannot accept such a statement as the  “violation of consular sovereignty”.  The investigation report released by the Chinese side to Japan and the public has revealed every detail of the whole incident from the objective perspective.  The Chinese side held a calm, objective and responsible attitude during the whole process, which is what we are expecting from the Japanese side.


Q:  You mentioned that these North Koreans had received help from some foreigners in China.  Will China take any law enforcement measure to strengthen the monitoring over such people and the border control between China and North Korea?

A:  It is the responsibility and obligation of the Chinese Government to protect the safety of foreign diplomatic missions and the employees in China according to the “Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations” and “Vienna Convention on Consular Relations”.  China will beep up its effort to this end and we are confident of this.

As to the border between China and the DPRK, it is more that 1300 kilometers long with frequent exchange of people, so there are someone entering China illegally.  China has always carried out border control in line with the situation there.


Q:  During the phone talk between Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his Russian counterpart Ivanov, did they touch upon the situation in South Asia?  What is China’s comment on the oncoming visit by US President to Russia?

A:  Shortly after Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan arrived in Beijing yesterday afternoon, he had a phone talk with Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov.  Ivanov first briefed Tang on the latest progress in Russia’s preparation for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in St. Petersburg, and touched upon the US-Russian agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons and the document to be signed by Russia and NATO on the establishment of a new type of relations.

Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan highly appreciated Russia’s preparatory work for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in St. Petersburg, and expressed the hope that the US-Russian agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons could be constantly promoted in an irreversible way so as to contribute to the maintenance of international disarmament and arms control system and the promotion of international peace, security and stability.  He also stressed China’s constant position that the international community should establish a new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, which will help create a long-term stable, safe and reliable international environment of peace.

China welcomes the recent development of Russia-US relations.  It is our view that as the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the biggest nuclear powers in the world, enhanced cooperation between Russia and US will benefit world peace, security and stability.


Q:  Will the consulate general incident undermine the China-Japan relations?  Is there any agreement between the two based on which China allowed the 5 people to leave China?

A:  How to handle the incident exclusively falls into China’s sovereignty.  And China has concluded the incident in its own way according to law.  The Chinese side held a calm, objective and responsible attitude during the whole process, which is what we are expecting from the Japanese side.


Q:  How would you comment on the assassination of the senior Hurriyat leader in Kashmir Lone?

A:  The Chinese Government has been all along against terrorism in all forms.  We are greatly shocked by and express our condemnation of the assassination in Kashmir.  We maintain that the Kashmir dispute is left over by history, parties concerned should find a fair and rational solution to this historical leftover through peaceful means.


Q:  Last week you announced the visit by Fijian President to China from Sunday, would you comment on the China-Fiji relations and the significance of this visit?

A:  China and Fiji are friendly countries.  We hope this important visit will give the leaders of the two countries an opportunity to exchange in-depth views and reach consensus on issues of common interest, especially on ways to enhance bilateral relations and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the political, economic and other fields.  We are confident that the visit will facilitate the development of China-Fiji relations in the new century.


Q:  China allowed the 5 intruders to leave China.  Can I assume that upon request by other North Koreans, China will allow them to leave China according to the “three principles”?

A:  My answer is “no”.  I would like to remind you that the 5 people entered and stayed in China illegally.  After verifying their identity and whether they committed crime in China, China allowed them leave for a third country according to the international law, domestic law and in humanitarian spirit, while at the same time taking into consideration their own will.


Q:  Do you mean that you recognize them as North Koreans?

A:  Yes, according to the finished verification.  Without verification result, China would not have dealt with them according to law.


Q:  It is reported that the border areas between China and other countries especially North Korea are under tightened control.  Is it because of the pressure from the Chinese Central Government or other new policies?

A:  With 22,000 kilometers of land border between China and other countries, the Chinese Government has the unshakable responsibility to safeguard the border security to insure that the people in the area will live and work in a tranquil and peaceful environment.  The Chinese Government has always carried out effective border control according to law.


Q:  Did China inform the North Korea about its handling over the 5 people?

A:  It is the matter between China and countries concerned.  Given the fact that it has been resolved properly, I have no more detail to provide.