Beijing reaffirms position on Diaoyu Islands, Taiwan ( 2003-08-02 08:00) (China Daily)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a
reported Japanese deal on the disputed Diaoyu Islands by reasserting China's
sovereignty over them.
Foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan on Friday called on Japan to "properly
handle'' the issue of the Diaoyu Islands by following the Sino-Japanese Joint
Statement and the one-China principle.
Taiwanese media reported recently Taiwan and Japan had reached a consensus to
designate the area between the 27th and the 29th parallel north as a region
where both can fish.
However, the Japanese foreign ministry on Wednesday denied the report.
For quite some time, Taiwan people who fish in the waters of the Diaoyu
Islands have been driven out by Japanese maritime police.
"The Chinese Government has all along attached importance to safeguarding the
interests of the Taiwan compatriots, including the interests of fishermen,''
said Kong.
The Diaoyu Islands are a disputed region between China and Japan in the East
China Sea. China insists the islands are its territory.
Spokesman Kong reaffirmed in June that China has indisputable sovereignty
over the Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islands and that any attempts to seize
the Chinese territory will not succeed.
Kong also commented on a Pentagon annual report released on Wednesday on
China's military power, which said the country is rapidly boosting its ballistic
missile stocks to prepare for a possible future conflict across the Taiwan
Straits.
"There is nothing wrong with the build-up of defence and military deployments
by China, a sovereign state, to safeguard national security and territorial
integrity,'' said Kong, stressing that China's national security policy is
defensive.
Reaffirming the Chinese Government's policy of "peaceful reunification'' and
"one country, two systems,'' Kong said the growth of the independence movement
in Taiwan is the greatest menace to the stability of the Taiwan Straits.
Some people in the United States exaggerate the mainland's military power and
its threat to Taiwan to provide an excuse for selling weapons to Taiwan, said
Kong.
He said China hoped the United States will honour its commitments to adhere
to the three Sino-US joint communiques and the one-China policy, and oppose
Taiwan's independence.
When asked to confirm whether the South Pacific country Nauru had closed its
unofficial embassy in Beijing to establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Kong
said bilateral ties have developed well since the two established diplomatic
relations one year ago.
The government of Nauru has on many occasions noted it will appoint an
ambassador to China and officially open an embassy, said Kong, vowing that China
will help build the embassy in accordance with the Communique on the
Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations.
