China asks US not to send "wrong signal" to terrorists
2004-08-19 People's Daily
China Tuesday asked the USA not to send the "wrong signal" to terrorist forces operating in western China in its handling of Chinese detainees at the US base at the Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kongquan made the remarks when asked to comment on a report that the United States will not send those suspects back to China and was striving to find destination for them elsewhere. The spokesman asked the United States to handle the issue according to international rules and with a view toward international anti-terrorism cooperation and bilateral ties. ( )Listed as a terrorist group by the UN Security Council, the "East Turkistan" force has staged more than 260 attacks inside western China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in which 162 people of different nationalities have been killed and more than 440 wounded. The group is colluding with al-Qaeda, Taliban remnants, Chechen terrorist groups and other international terrorist organizations. The United States has detained about 700 suspects of al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants from over 40 countries worldwide. Most of them were caught in the US-led war in Afghanistan. ( )

Chinas Kooperation grenzüberschreitender Kriminalität
2004-08-19 Xinhua Wang
Zhou Yongkang traf am Donnerstag in Beijing Mr. Noble, den Generalsekretär der Interpol. China wolle die Zusammenarbeit mit internationalen Polizeiorganisationen ausbauen. ( ) Ziel sei es, einen Mechanismus zur Prävention und Bekämpfung der globalen Kriminalität zu errichten. Noble habe dabei versprochen, die Organisation Interpol werde China bei der Suche nach aus China entflohenen Verbrechern im Ausland helfen.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will sich vermehrt wirtschaftlich
profilieren
2004-08-19 Guangming Wang
Der Generalsekretärs der SCO, Zhang Deguang, will mehr Wirtschaftsarbeit betreiben. Bis jetzt verlaufe die Zusammenarbeit zwischen allen Mitgliedsstaaten im wirtschaftlichen Bereich gut, wie er an einer Konferenz in Beijing zu berichten wusste. Die SCO wolle nicht nur militärische aktiv sein. Auch künftig sollen die Mitglieder nach dem Prinzip "Frieden und Kooperation" handeln und eine Politik guter nachbarschaftlicher Beziehungen und umfangreicher Zusammenarbeit verfolgen.

China deplores Japanese visit to Shrine
2004-08-15 Xinhua News
China says it hopes the Japanese government will cease to harm the feelings of Chinese and people from other countries with easily preventable actions, CRIENGLISH.com reported Sunday. Three Japanese ministers paid homage at Yasukuni Shrine for war dead Sunday, the 59th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender. ( ) Visits by Japanese leaders to the shrine have been strongly denounced by many Asian countries, including China and South Korea, which severely suffered from the aggression. Koizumi made his fourth annual visit to the shrine on Jan. 1 this year since taking office in Apr. 2001. He said last Tuesday he would not visit the shrine Sunday, but would visit sometime next year.

China opens up press wholesale market
2004-08-19 China Daily
China will open its book, newspaper and periodical wholesale market to overseas investors by the end of this year, China's senior publications official said Wednesday in Beijing. Overseas investors will be allowed to form book, newspaper and periodical wholesale and retail firms by the end of 2004, said Yu Yongzhan, deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publications. China has already opened up these markets and the printing industry to overseas investors, fulfilling commitments made on entry to the World Trade Organization, said Yu. ( ) Yu stressed that China is not yet ready to open its publishing sector to overseas firms. But Chinese and overseas publishers can strengthen copyright trade and jointly publish material, he said. ( ) As a move to strengthen exchanges in the short term, the administration will sponsor the 11th Beijing International Book Fair in Beijing between September 2 and 6. At least 900 publishers from 42 countries and regions are expected to participate in the annual fair, which is said to be the largest international book fair held in China and an important Chinese book fair in the global market. ( )

4,000 corrupt officials bolt with US$50 billion
2004-08-18 Xinhua News
Researchers for the Ministry of Commerce estimate that about 4,000 corrupt officials who have fled China in the past two decades transferred US$50 billion out of the country. Many of the big cases involved dirty money being sent to overseas destinations through offshore finance centers. ( ) Dr. Mei Xinyu, lead writer of the report, told the newspaper that corrupt officials and some private firms were using companies registered in offshore finance centers, such as the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas, to transfer capital and illicit gains out of China illegally. The researchers estimate that Chinese companies and individuals have registered tens of thousands of firms in such offshore finance centers. China has the world's fourth most serious problem with capital flight, and the annual figure has been rising at half the speed of its foreign debt growth since 1985, reported Mei. The authorities are planning to set up a joint task force to deal with capital flight, he said.

China tests new guided missile - CNS report
2004-08-17 China Daily
China has successfully tested a new guided missile it says is highly accurate, according to a China News Service report. ( ) Cao Gangchuan, vice-chiarman of the CMC and also minister of defense, attended and praised the test, saying the researchers have made huge contribution to the national defense. The CNS quoted Feng as saying researchers were committed to "promoting military modernization and realizing the grand task of reunifying the motherland."

Beijing launches AIDS strategy
2004-08-15 Xinhua News
Beijing has begun a trial project to address high-risk AIDS groups. The project will offer AIDS workers and volunteers training in AIDS prevention. It will also include knowledge promotion to high-risk AIDS groups, including drug addicts and prostitutes. Condom vending machines are expected to be set up in hotels, restaurants and karaoke bars and regular free check-ups will be available to high-risk groups.

Chen uses stopover to undermine relations
2004-08-20 China Daily
China Thursday described the scheduled stay over by Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian in the United States en route to Latin America as a scheme to spoil Sino-US relations. "The use of 'stopovers' by the Taiwan authorities as an excuse to conduct activities splitting China and sabotaging China-US relations is a trick they have consistently been using," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan. "We urge the US side to abide by the three Sino-US joint communiques and their relevant commitments, not to conduct any official dealings and contacts with Taiwan, not to allow important Taiwan political figures to use 'stopovers' as an excuse to engage in separatist activities," Kong said. ( ) But latest reports said Chen would have to cut his trip short as the US side told him to make his visit as brief as possible. Chen is now reportedly scheduled to leave Taipei on a chartered flight on August 29 and will make a stop in Hawaii on his way to Panama. He is due to make a stop in Seattle on September 5 before heading home. ( )

11th Panchen Lama arrives in Lhasa
2004-08-13 Xinhua News
The 11th Panchen Lama received warm greetings from the local people when he arrived in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Friday. At about 1:00 p.m., the Panchen Lama and his attendants arrived at his palace in the city, where he was saluted by government officials, leaders from Buddhism organizations and 200 representatives from all walks of life.( ) The 11th Panchen Lama was recognized in 1995 by the State Council, through the traditional lot-drawing from a golden urn, as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. The 11th Panchen Lama was born on Feb. 13, 1990 in Lhari County of Tibet. He ascended the holy throne on Dec. 8, 1995, at Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery in Xigaze, Tibet, the residence of all previous Panchen Lamas.

Patrick Dreher
Embassy of Switzerland