FM: We oppose US arms sale to Taiwan

China firmly opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Beijing on Monday on the sidelines of the ongoing National People's Congress.

Fielding questions at a packed press conference, Yang also said that China would embrace worldwide friendly cooperation to improve people's livelihood, while abhors vicious competition reminiscent of past zero-sum games between the big countries.

"One should not advance its interests at the cost of others, still less create confrontation by setting up hypothetical competition," Yang said.

Drawing on each other's strength and pursuing win-win cooperation have been the mainstream of China's foreign relations with other countries, said the foreign minister, adding competition must be viewed with an open and inclusive mind, and conducted on equal and fair terms.

Talking about Sino-US ties, Yang said that Beijing firms opposes Washington's arms sale to Taiwan. The US administration "should take concrete measures to support the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations".

In the past, Sino-US' "good atmosphere" in relations had, time and again, been poisoned by Washington's arms sales to Taiwan. Last time, Obama administration's approval of up to 6.4 billion dollars of armaments to Taiwan led to a freezing of military ties between the two countries for more than 20 months.

BRICS summit in China

China will host the BRICS Leaders Summit Meeting in April, Yang said. Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are expected to discuss the post -financial-crisis global economic recovery and measures to strengthen cooperation among the major emerging economies.

President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Russia in 2010 at the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Yang said, adding "mutual trust and credibility" between the two peoples and the leaders have laid a solid foundation for an exemplary bilateral relationship.

"China-Russia relations have been lifted to a higher level," Yang said. "China and Russia are good neighbors, friends and partners, trust and credibility form the foundation of all undertakings."

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, and the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination. The two countries will seize the opportunities to further advance their strategic partnership of coordination, Yang said.

No politicizing trade issues

China opposes politicizing trade issues and rejects some countries imposing double standards and engaging in discriminative acts, Yang said.

China's development offers a broader space for its cooperation with other countries and will step up its mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries in order to enhance their shared interests, according to Yang.

China has been helping countries in Africa improve infrastructure and people's life. To date, it has built more than 2,200-km railways and 3,400-km roads in the continent. "China's investment and construction has greatly aided a sustainable development of Africa," Yang said.

Strategic Partnership with Europe

Yang said that China has been following the sovereign debt crisis in some European countries and has bought treasury bonds from relevant countries.

"We believe the steps taken by China have been well received by the countries and people in Europe," he said. Yang said that China will work with the European Union to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership.

"Both sides should work together to pursue the political partnership based on mutual respect and mutual trust and deepen their win-win economic and trade partnership," he said.

China and the European Union are two major economies of the world and both are at a critical stage in their respective development, he said.

"We can help each other and create a win-win situation, isn't it a good thing?" he said.

He said 2011 is the year of youth exchange between China and the European Union.
"We hope such exchange activities can help the two sides strengthen the friendship and mutual trust between the peoples of two sides, and lay a more solid social foundation for the continued growth of China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership."

	Weekly review

People's Daily Online