Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said at a routine press
conference on Tuesday that President Hu Jintao will visit Japan next year, the first
visit by a Chinese head of state in a decade.
The date for the visit will be set by the two sides through
diplomatic consultations, he explained, adding that China and Japan
share a common understanding on maintaining and enhancing
high-level visits and exchanges.
In a meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Singapore last month, Japanese
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda expressed his wish to visit China in
the near future, possibly within this year or at the beginning of
next year.
British PM to visit China
Qin said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hopes to visit
China in the near future. The specific date for the visit has yet
to be decided by the two sides, and would be Brown's first visit to
China since he took office in June this year.
He said China highly values Sino-British relations and the prime
minister's visit.
"The Chinese side is willing to take the visit as an opportunity
to have full-fledged and profound discussions with the prime
minister on matters of mutual interest and on current international
and regional issues," he said.
He also professed hopes for Brown's visit to be successful and
conducive?to the further development of Sino-British
relations.
Sino-US Strategic Economic Dialogue
China would like to work closely with the United States in
preparation for the upcoming Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), and
strive for positive progress, Qin said.
"To set up the SED mechanism is an important consensus reached
by the two state leaders, and it has played an increasingly
important role in strengthening bilateral ties," he added.
Regarding SED as an important mechanism and platform for
bilateral cooperation, the US side has spoken highly and positively
of the dialogue, he said.
The third China-US Strategic Economic Dialogue will be held in
Beijing on Dec. 12-13. Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
will co-chair the meeting as special representatives of the state
leaders of the two countries.
Ministers and other senior officials from related departments of
the two governments will also attend the dialogue.
The dialogue was launched by President George W. Bush and
President Hu Jintao in September 2006, serving as a platform to
discuss long-term, strategic, and comprehensive issues in the
bilateral trade relationship.
New leadership of Russia's State Duma
China expects the new leadership of Russia's State Duma to make
new and important contributions to further push forward a bilateral
strategic partnership of coordination.
Qin said the victory of United Russia, President Vladimir
Putin's party, is a choice made by the Russian people that is
conducive to the country's political stability and economic
development as well as regional and world peace and stability.
On Monday the United Russia Party won 64.1 percent of the votes
in the elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
The party will receive 315 seats in the State Duma, topping the
constitutional majority of 300 seats, according to Russia's Central
Elections Commission.
Iran nuclear issue
China on Tuesday called for continued all-round cooperation
between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in a
bid to clarify disputed issues. Qin made the remarks in response to
a question concerning a phone conversation Tuesday between Foreign
Minister Yang Jiechi and US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice.
According to Qin, Yang reiterated China's consistent position on
the Iranian nuclear issue, stressing China always
advocates maintaining the international non-proliferation
system.
To solve the Iranian nuclear standoff?through peaceful
means meets the common interests of the international community
including China and the United States, Yang told Rice. He added
China would continue to coordinate with the United States and other
parties concerned to participate in relevant discussions.
The conversation came one day after US National Security Advisor
Stephen Hadley urged the world community to "turn up the pressure"
on Iran despite the latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE)
indicating the Islamic republic appears less determined to develop
nuclear weapons.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that the
country's disputed nuclear issue was "closed" from Iran's
perspective.
Reiterating the legitimacy of Iran's nuclear program,
Ahmadinejad asserted the Iranian people would not abandon their
right to produce new, clean, and cheap energy.
"China is to continue its efforts on pushing forward peaceful
settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue," Qin said, calling on
parties concerned to promote diplomatic negotiation for a
long-term, comprehensive, and appropriate settlement of the
standoff.
China denies 'Internet spy' accusations
China refuted allegations in the British media of organizing
so-called "Internet spies," calling them "irresponsible"
rumors.
"The Chinese government has always opposed any Internet crimes
including hacking, which is an international problem," Qin
said.
His remarks came in response to a question concerning a British
media report. It said officials of Britain's Security Service (MI5)
sent letters to 300 executives and security chiefs of banks,
accountants, and legal firms, warning them the Chinese government
had hacked into their computer systems and was stealing
confidential information.
"We express strong dissatisfaction. It is a very irresponsible
act," Qin said, referring to the report.
He said China had introduced several laws regarding the
protection of Internet security, and the country's computer
networks had also been targeted by hackers.
Qin added Chinese and British authorities were currently
cooperating on combating cyber attacks. He said China hoped the
cooperation was based on facts and mutual respect.
Germany's one-China stance
China appreciates German Foreign Minister Frank Walter
Steinmeier's recent remarks that Germany rejects Taiwan's inclusion
in the United Nations and sticks to the one-China policy, Qin
said.
In dealing with China-Germany relations, China has always
advocated developing friendly cooperation between the two countries
on the basis of mutual respect and equality, Qin said.
"We expect more efforts from the German side to this end," Qin
added.
US nuclear envoy
US chief nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill will visit China
from Wednesday, said Qin. Hill, a US assistant secretary of state,
will confer with Chinese officials on the six-party talks and other related issues.
On Monday he began a visit to Pyongyang to negotiate the issue
of nuclear declaration. During his stay there, Hill and his North
Korean counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, would
discuss their responsibilities to fulfill the joint document of the
six-party talks.
Hill said he would go to Yongbyon to see how the disablement is
progressing.
S Korean PM's visit
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will pay an official
visit to China from Dec. 10 to 11 at the invitation of his Chinese
counterpart Wen Jiabao, Qin announced.
(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2007)
