CHINA: GOVERNMENT TELLS THE UNITED STATES NOT TO INTERFERE IN ITS AFFAIRS AMID ROW OVER ISRAELI ARMS SALES
Record ID:
338337
CHINA: GOVERNMENT TELLS THE UNITED STATES NOT TO INTERFERE IN ITS AFFAIRS AMID ROW OVER ISRAELI ARMS SALES
- Title: CHINA: GOVERNMENT TELLS THE UNITED STATES NOT TO INTERFERE IN ITS AFFAIRS AMID ROW OVER ISRAELI ARMS SALES
- Date: 1st July 2005
- Summary: (BN08) BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 30, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. NEWS CONFERENCE WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU JIANCHAO 0.05 2. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU JIANCHAO SAYING: "The two questions that you raised early on concern America. We think that China's bid to further relationships with other countries in different areas is beneficial to both sides and to regional peace. It doesn't affect third countries and it certainly doesn't affect the U.S We hope the U.S. can stop interfering in our affairs." 3. JIANCHAO AT THE PODIUM 4. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU JIANCHAO SAYING: "What's been happening with Unocal is a company's normal business transaction. It is normal business trade and it should not be affected by politics. There are some people who try to understand this issue from a political viewpoint, but we think this is a normal business transaction." 5. JOURNALISTS 6. JOURNALIST WRITING 7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU JIANCHAO SAYING: "We realise that there is a lot of anticipation ahead of the academic conference that will be held in New York. If it does go ahead successfully, then there will be a continuance of positive communications. We hope that both sides could continue walking together along the way. We hope that they can both contribute positive suggestions and try to create the right conditions and atmosphere for the restart of six-party talks." 8. JOURNALISTS 9. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU JIANCHAO SAYING: "China has been taking a peaceful path. China's development will not threaten any country, including Japan and the U.S. The worries about China from certain countries are baseless. We certainly want the U.S. to play its role in the Asia Pacific. We hope the U.S. can play a positive and peaceful, constructive role rather than using Cold War ideology and try to build a special relationship with other countries." 10. SIGN 3.19 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th July 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVA1BG7P1ZSG4ST6PZJSD4NZOLS
- Story Text: China tells the U.S. not to interfere in its affairs
amid a row over Israeli arms sales.
China criticised the United States on Thursday (June
30, 2005) for interfering in its affairs as American negotiators
work on a pact expected to give the U.S. more say over
Israeli arms sales to China.
Israel has bowed to U.S. pressure to halt the sale of
radar-hunting Harpy drone aircraft to China.
"The two questions that you raised early on concern
America. We think that China's bid to further relationships
with other countries in different areas is beneficial to
both sides and to regional peace. It doesn't affect third
countries and it certainly doesn't affect the U.S. We hope
the U.S. can stop interfering in our affairs," Foreign
Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference.
Washington torpedoed Israel's multi-billion dollar sale
of the Phalcon to China in 2000, citing fears it could
upset the regional balance of power.
The U.S. push to curb Israeli technology transfers coincided with
its drive to delay the projected lifting of
a European Union arms embargo slapped on China after the
June 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy students in Beijing.
There is also U.S. discontent over a 160 billion U.S.
dollars trade deficit with China and jitters about China's
growing military power have prompted a backlash against
Chinese state-run oil firm CNOOC'S $18.5 billion dollar bid
to acquire U.S. producer Unocal Corp. American politicians
say it could threaten national security and U.S. access to
adequate energy supplies.
The U.S. government on Wednesday (June 29) gave final
clearance to Chevron Corp.'s offer to acquire Unocal Corp.
, leaving China's CNOOC Ltd. just six weeks to convince
Unocal's board its own bid for the California oil and gas
producer is superior.
China said the bid for Unocal Corp. was strictly business.
"What's been happening with Unocal is a company's
normal business transaction. It is normal business trade
and it should not be affected by politics. There are some
people who try to understand this issue from a political
viewpoint, but we think this is a normal business
transaction," said Jianchao.
Meanwhile, China welcomed reports that two U.S.
officials would attend an academic conference in New York
on Thursday that will include a senior North Korean
diplomat, but the State Department said there are no plans
for meetings or exchanges among them.
The U.S. decision to allow North Korea's Ri Gun to
attend the private conference organized by Professor Donald
Zagoria of Hunter College comes as the United States is
seeking to coax Pyongyang back to talks on ending its
nuclear ambitions.
Ri has in the past served as North Korea's chief
delegate to the working-level talks that support the
higher-level six-party negotiations.
"We realise that there is a lot of anticipation ahead
of the academic conference that will be held in New York.
If it does go ahead successfully, then there will be a
continuance of positive communications. We hope that both
sides could continue walking together along the way. We
hope that they can both contribute positive suggestions and
try to create the right conditions and atmosphere for the
restart of six-party talks," said Jianchao.
It has been more than a year since North Korea came to
six-party talks that include South Korea, the United
States, China, Japan and Russia and that aim to bring an
end to its suspected nuclear weapons programmes.
Contacts between U.S. and North Korean officials are
few and far in between, with the last reported meeting on
June 6 in New York which prompted a flurry of hints that
six-party talks might soon resume.
Jianchao insisted China was not looking to become a
super power in the Asian region.
"China has been taking a peaceful path. China's
development will not threaten any country, including Japan
and the U.S. The worries about China from certain countries
are baseless. We certainly want the U.S. to play its role
in the Asia Pacific. We hope the U.S. can play a positive
and peaceful, constructive role rather than using Cold War
ideology and try to build a special relationship with other
countries," he said.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None