Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said at Thursday's
regular press conference that China supports Germany in playing a
greater role in the UN and other multilateral organizations.
When asked to comment on Germany's candidacy for a permanent
seat at the Security Council, Qin said China is willing to maintain
contact and consultations with Germany on UN reforms.
Germany is an important member of the EU, and with adherence to
peaceful development, it plays an acknowledged and active role in
international affairs, he said.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report on reforming the UN has
been under discussion at the General Assembly. Qin said the reforms
cover various fields and levels, and China supports reforms of the
UN Security Council.
He said China believes that priority should be given to
increasing the representation of developing countries, views from
all concerned parties should be taken into account, and reforms
should be decided through consultation and with consensus.
China is not in favor of setting a time limit for Security
Council reform or of forcing a hasty vote, he noted.?
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said yesterday that
Japan and China should resolve their oil and gas drilling dispute
in the East China Sea through dialogue.
"Chinese and Japanese positions differ on the matter, but we
need to continue talks from a larger point of view, without
inflaming conflicts," Kyodo News Service quoted Koizumi as
saying.
The Japanese government on Wednesday initiated procedures to
grant Japanese firms the right to conduct test drilling for
potential gas and oil fields to the east of a unilaterally defined
demarcation line in the East China Sea.
Qin said Japan's move was a provocation against China's rights
and the norms of international relations.
China had already lodged protests on the issue with the Japanese
side and Qin said the nation would "retain the right to react
further."
He said China has always insisted the two sides should resolve
the issue through diplomatic negotiations.
"We urge the Japanese side to take relevant measures. The
consequences depend on Japan," he said, after being asked to
elaborate what further reaction China would likely make.
He said China wants to solve the question through consultations
and proposed putting aside disputes and engaging in joint
exploitation efforts in the ocean area.
"We hope to get a positive response from the Japanese side," he
said.
Japan has unilaterally demarcated a controversial exclusive
economic zone along the median line. It holds that the line is
determined by the two countries' coastlines.
China holds that the line is determined by the continental shelf
on China's side, over which China claims exclusive rights.
Both China and Japan have a right to claim 200 sea miles of
water, in accordance with international law.
However, the width of the East China Sea is less than 400 sea
miles and the claims of the two sides overlap, which has led to
continuing disputes.
According to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, Japanese Foreign
Minister Nobutaka Machimura plans to visit China this weekend but
Qin did not give any details about Machimura's agenda, saying the
two sides are still discussing the visit.
He also denied Japanese media reports that two Chinese students
had been killed in Japan.
??
"We have carefully checked the facts, and the story is false,"
he said.
Turning to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo's ongoing visit,
Qin said China hopes it can further advance Sino-Nigerian
relations.
Invited by President Hu
Jintao, Obasanjo arrived in Beijing on Thursday morning for a
four-day stay.
Obasanjo is visiting China as both Nigerian president and
rotating president of the African Union, said Qin. During his
visit, he will confer with Chinese leaders on bilateral relations,
Sino-African cooperation and international and regional issues of
common concern, and the two sides will also sign cooperation
documents.
Besides Beijing, Obasanjo will travel to Hubei Province and
Shanghai.
Commenting on Sino-African relations, Qin said great
achievements have been made in recent years. China and African
countries maintain frequent high-level visits and trade and
economic cooperation has expanded.
The establishment of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in the
year 2000 has actively promoted understanding and mutually
beneficial cooperation, Qin acknowledged.
"China will, as always, expand friendly cooperative relations
with African nations on the basis of the Five Principles of
Peaceful Coexistence," the spokesperson said.?
Moving on to the Vatican, Qin said China's basic principles in
dealing with its relationship with it "remain unchanged."
He said China hopes the Vatican will take "concrete actions to
create conditions to improve bilateral relations instead of setting
new obstacles for it."
He said China has persistently followed two principles in
relations with the Vatican: it should sever "diplomatic relations"
with Taiwan and promise not to interfere in China's internal
affairs, including any intervention on the pretext of religious
activities.
Qin announced that, at the invitation of Premier Wen
Jiabao, Austrian Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel will
visit from April 19 to 25, and French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre
Raffarin from April 21 to 23.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily April 15, 2005)