Following is the full text of the statement issued here Thursday by
the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's
National
People's Congress (NPC) on a resolution passed by the European
Parliament on EU Strategy towards China:
The European
Parliament (EP) passed a resolution on April 11 on "European
Parliament on an EU Strategy towards China." The resolution reviews
positively the development of Sino-European relations in the past
few years, makes favorable accounts of China's contributions to
international affairs and her achievements in domestic areas.
Giving emphasis on the great significance of developing the
Sino-European cooperative partnership, the resolution makes some
constructive suggestion on further strengthening the dialogue,
expanding the exchange and cooperation between the two sides in
different fields in the future. We embrace and appreciate such an
attitude. But on a range of vital issues, which include Taiwan,
Tibet and human rights, the resolution adopts a wrong position by
ignoring the facts. This cannot but only make us feel regret.
On
the Taiwan issue, the resolution says that "the EU's adherence to
the one-China policy is directly linked to its commitment to a
peaceful resolution of the dispute" and it states its position that
it "cannot accept that China reserves the right to use military
force in its disputes with Taiwan." Such statements constitute
interference in China's internal affairs.
As
we all know, Taiwan is part of Chinese territory from ancient
times. This is the fact confirmed by the international law and
generally recognized by the international community. The Taiwan
issue is purely China's internal affair and no one has any right to
interfere in it. It is the common desire and firm will of the
entire Chinese people, including the 23 million compatriots in
Taiwan. The basic principle of Chinese government on settling the
Taiwan issue is "peaceful reunification and one country, two
systems." People living on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are all
Chinese. The fact invokes the proverb -- blood is thicker than
water, and the truth that no one up upon the world is more eager
than the Chinese government to strive for a peaceful solution to
the Taiwan issue. Despite all that, we will never make such
commitment as renouncing the use of force in addressing the Taiwan
issue. Yet this is not addressed to our Taiwan compatriots, but
rather those "pro-independence" activists who attempt to separate
Taiwan from China. While harboring the greatest sincerity and
sparing no effort to attain the peaceful reunification of the
motherland, we also have the resolution and capability to smash the
separatist activities of the Taiwan "pro-independence." Thus far,
Taiwan authorities still refuse to accept the one-China principle
and continue to purchase a large quantity of advanced weapons. In
an attempt to "resist peace with force" and "resist reunification
with force," they are sliding farther away towards the separatist
position of "pro-independence." It is out of the consideration of
the happiness and wishes of the people on both sides of the Taiwan
Straits and of the final objective of resolving the Taiwan question
through peaceful means that the Chinese government does not commit
to renounce the use of force. However, the EP put it in the
resolution that China refuses to commit itself to renouncing the
use of force is in itself a "military threat" to Taiwan. Such an
argument is entirely a distortion of the principle of peaceful
reunification persistently pursued by the Chinese government and
will only encourage the "pro-independence" factors in Taiwan.
The resolution also demands that Taiwan should take part in ASEM
and that the EU member states should allow the important political
figures from Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian and the like for instance, to
visit EU. All these run counter to the one-China policy held by EU
and its member states and will certainly meet our strong
opposition.
Citing the lies concocted by some people with ulterior motives, the
EP's resolution also criticizes the human rights situations in
China, defiling that the political situation of the Tibetan people
is "ever-worsening" and the human rights situation in Tibet is
"deteriorating." Talking about the situation of China's human
rights and Tibet, we have to bring to the fact that all the Chinese
people including the people in Tibet are quite satisfied with the
great progress we have made during the past few years. Many
foreigners also admire the changes they've witnessed with their own
eyes during their stay in China. Currently, the status of human
rights in China remains at the best in history. Since 1965 when
Tibet instituted the policy of ethnic autonomy, especially after
the reform and opening-up, world-shaking changes have taken place
in Tibet, and great success has been achieved in various fields,
including politics, economy, culture and human rights etc.
Furthermore, the freedom of religious belief has been guaranteed
for the Tibetans to the full. These facts are obvious to all.
The resolution requires negotiations to be conducted between
China's central government and Dalai Lama, saying what Dalai wanted
is merely "genuine autonomy of Tibet." In fact, there always exists
a free channel between the central government and Dalai Lama. Since
1979, the central government has conducted contacts with the
personal delegates sent by Dalai Lama for more than ten times.
Galedunzhu, the elder brother of Dalai, has himself returned to
China for a dozen times. The central government has been constant
in its position as regards contacts and negotiations with Dalai,
which requires that Dalai must truly renounce his stand of "Tibetan
independence" publicly, stop any of its separatist activities, and
openly state that Tibet is an inalienable part of China, and what
is more, Taiwan is one of China's provinces, and the government of
People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government
representing the whole of China. However, Dalai has consistently
rejected this reasonable demand. Facts show that Dalai is making
use of the issue to concoct lies so as to deceive and hoodwink the
international community. He has never meant to contact and
negotiate with a sincere attitude. He readjusted his tactics now
and then, severing his contacts with the central government when he
thinks the situation is favorable to him, and requesting the
resumption of contacts when he feels the situation unfavorable. As
a result, contacts and negotiations between the central government
and Dalai still remains nowhere, and it is Dalai who should be held
entirely responsible. The so-called "genuine autonomy of Tibet"
from Dalai betrays his attempt to deny the fact that the Tibetan
people have long since been enjoying the rights entitled to them by
the ethnic regional autonomy. In this way he is fanning up opinions
for his aim to separate Tibet from China. All this demonstrates to
the full extent that Dalai has never stopped or given up its
political activities aimed at splitting the motherland.
Not long ago, the Delegation of People's Congress of Tibet
Autonomous Region paid a visit to Europe. The delegation gave a
comprehensive introduction to Tibet and it furthered many
Europeans' learning of the true picture of Tibet. The defiance by
the EP resolution of the facts could only hurt the feelings of the
Chinese people and the development of Sino-European friendly
relations.
Society is bound to develop and mankind is bound to advance
forward. It is an inevitable trend of the history. Since the reform
and opening-up policy is adopted, China's achievements in human
rights cause have attracted worldwide attention and the status of
the Chinese people's human rights has been substantially improved.
Promotion and protection of human rights is a historical process in
which all countries are positioned, and no country should consider
its own human rights record is perfect. As the same as other
countries, China is not satisfactory in some areas with respect to
human rights. But China will continue to devote itself to the
ever-increasing level of human rights for the Chinese people.
The sound development momentum of Sino-European relations, which is
achieved through the unremitting efforts of both sides, is not
easily come by. It is in compliance with the fundamental interest
of Sino-European relations and peace and development of the world.
We hope that the EP members could strictly abide by their relevant
commitments and would not do anything that will interfere in
China's internal affairs and be detrimental to the Sino-European
cooperation. We welcome those who lack true knowledge of China to
strengthen dialogue with China in a just and objective manner and
to learn the true picture. We also welcome them to visit China
themselves and see how China really is with their own eyes so as to
avoid hampering the sound development of Sino-European friendship
by simply parroting what they hear and making erroneous
judgments.
( April 19, 2002)