China has called for the international community to remain
sober-minded, patient and flexible in the resolution of the Iran
nuclear issue, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Liu Jianchao said at a
regular press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.?
China encourages all parties to do more to increase trust and
avoid any actions that may worsen the issue, Liu said.?
There is still enough room to resolve the matter within the
framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the
international community should not abandon diplomatic efforts, he
said.?
Regarding the scheduled nuclear talks between Russia and Iran on
February 16, Liu said China hopes the talks will be held on time
and achieve a positive result.?
Iranian government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham told reporters
on Monday that a new round of talks between Iran and Russia,
previously scheduled on Thursday in Moscow, had been delayed and
that Iran would resume industrial enrichment ahead of the IAEA's
meeting on March 6.?
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian National Security and
Foreign Relations Committee, said on Iranian state television on
Tuesday that Iran had resumed "peaceful" uranium enrichment at the
Natanz plant in the presence of inspectors from the IAEA.?
The resumption was the final step of Iran's reaction to a recent
decision by the IAEA to report their nuclear activities to the UN
Security Council.
President Hu's visit to the
US????
Liu said that both
China and the US are actively preparing for the planned visit
in the first half of 2006.?
Liu said dates have yet to be confirmed.
Exchange rate reform
Liu said China will continue to promote its exchange rate reform
in the spirit of serving the global and Chinese economy.
"China's determination to promote exchange rate reform is
unchanged," Liu said.
Liu made the remarks after the Bush administration on Monday
urged China to further liberalize its currency policy in its annual
summary of economic policies and goals.
"China has never deliberately sought a trade surplus or an
increase in its foreign exchange reserves," Liu said. "China's goal
is to maintain balanced international payments, especially a basic
balance in the trade of goods and services."
Earlier government figures show China's trade surplus came to
US$100 billion in 2005 amid increasing trade disputes.
As a result, the country's foreign exchange reserves surged to
US$818.9 billion by the end of last year, second only to Japan.
Liu said: "All countries should adjust economic structures in
line with their conditions and adapt themselves to influences
brought about by globalization."
UN Secretary-General
candidate?????
China hopes that Asian countries can reach a consensus on a
candidate to put forward as the next UN Secretary-General, Liu
said.?
Liu said that the post should be filled by an Asian because it's
been 34 years since Asia last assumed that role.?
The last Asian UN Secretary-General was U Thant from Myanmar,
who served from 1961 to 1971.?
The incumbent UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will finish his
second term this December. Under the UN Charter, a new
secretary-general is nominated by the 15 member states of the UN
Security Council and confirmed by the 191-nation General
Assembly.
Six-party Korean nuclear talks
Liu told the regular news conference that "the financial problem
has exerted a negative impact on the talks".?
To date, five rounds of talks aimed at resolving the nuclear
issue on the Korean Peninsula have been held by China, the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the US, the Republic
of Korea, Russia and Japan.?
The talks were first held in Beijing on August 2003. The first
phase of the fifth round of six-party talks was?held from
November 9 to 11. Talks have been suspended since.
According to Liu, a meeting "beneficial to the process of the
talks" was held among China, the DPRK and the US in Beijing on
January 18.?
China-Kazakhstan border river issue
Liu said that China will solve any cross-border issue through
diplomatic means, and adopt reasonable policies that do not
infringe upon the rights of its neighbors.
Liu said China has always attached great importance to the
reasonable use of cross-border rivers and the protection of water
resources.
Japanese firm's nuclear-related
export
Liu said that China has no connection with the Japanese company
that allegedly exported nuclear-related machinery to
China.?
Liu said that China's is opposed to nuclear proliferation in any
form.
According to Japanese media, Tokyo police on Monday raided
Japan's Mitutoyo Corporation, a precision instruments
maker.???
The police alleged that the company was illegally exporting
machinery that could be used in uranium enrichment, a key process
in making a nuclear bomb.?
"In fact, the Japanese police said the company exported such
machines to Japanese companies in China. We have looked into the
matter and believe that China has nothing to do with it," Liu
said.?
(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)