Xinhua: Chinese NPC Delegation Hold Talks With U.S. Legislators

[Dao Van <daotb@yahoo.com>]

Chinese NPC Delegation Hold Talks With U.S.  Legislators

WASHINGTON, October 16 (Xinhua) -- The delegation of the Chinese
National People's Congress (NPC) recently held four rounds of
discussions here with U.S.  congressmen on Sino-U.S.  relations, trade,
regional security and other issues of common concern, a delegation
spokesman said here Saturday.  The NPC delegation, which concluded a
five-day visit to Washington and left for New York Saturday, held talks
with Donald Manzullo, chairman of the U.S.-China Inter-parliamentary
Exchange Group of the U.S.  House, Doug Bereuter, vice chairman of the
group, and many other congressmen including Tom Lantos and Thomas Ewing.
"The talks were held in a friendly, frank and
serious atmosphere," the spokesman said.  Though the two sides remain
different on some issues, they agreed to expand cooperation and
eliminate differences to promote the steady and sound development of
Sino-U.S.  relations.  The Chinese side reiterated China's principled
position on Taiwan, while the U.S.  side said it would remain committed
to the
"One China" policy, the three communiques governing
Sino-U.S.  relations and the promise of "Three Nos" on Taiwan.  Both
sides expressed the hope to strengthen cooperation and communications
between the parliaments of the two countries.  The NPC delegation's
visit to the United States has enhanced mutual understanding, expanded
common ground and increased friendship between the legislative bodies of
China and the U.S., thus establishing a good basis for future
communications, the spokesman said.  The delegation, led by Zeng
Jianhui, member of the Standing Committee and chairman of the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the NPC, arrived here on October 11.  This is the
first time the U.S.  Congress has invited a Chinese NPC delegation to
visit the country.  Enditem

==========================
Spokesman Blames Taiwan for Stymying Mainland's Earthquake Rescue

BEIJING, October 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese spokesman today said that
nobody can cut the ties of flesh and blood linking the compatriots on
both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and no matter what the Taiwan
authorities do, the mainland will continue to offer all possible aid for
earthquake relief.  The spokesman with the Taiwan Work Office of the
Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office
of the State Council blamed some people in Taiwan for stymying mainland
rescuers and materials from entering the island which was rocked by a
strong earthquake on September 21.  The spokesman said that at a time
when both sides of the Straits should join efforts for earthquake
rescue, certain people in Taiwan have continued to take a hostile
attitude towards the mainland and ignored the mainland's disaster relief
efforts.  He said that immediately after the island was hit by the
earthquake on September 21, Chinese President Jiang Zemin expressed
sympathy to the Taiwan compatriots and the willingness to offer any help
needed.  The mainland has provided 300,000 U.S.  dollars to Taiwan and
formed teams consisting of first-rate seismologists, medical experts and
hundreds of other rescuers, who are ready to head for the island as soon
as they are called.  The mainland-based Association for Relations Across
the Strait has also sent a message to the Taiwan-based Strait Exchange
Foundation expressing its willingness to offer help.  However, the
spokesman said, some people in Taiwan have done all they can to try to
weaken the feelings of kinship between the people across the Straits. 
They have even distorted the facts by creating rumors to mislead public
opinion, he added.  He said that "we have always adopted an active
attitude towards international disaster relief operations and given the
green light to any flights that carried materials and personnel to
Taiwan via Chinese airspace." He said that "we have shown great
restraint in not responding to the destructive activities of certain
people in Taiwan." He said that mainland's rescuers and materials are
all ready and can be sent to Taiwan immediately if the Taiwan
authorities agree.  He said that certain people with ulterior motives in
Taiwan should focus their energy on disaster relief and give up the
attempts to challenge the mainland's sincerity, which are indeed a
futile way to dodge Taiwan people's criticism of the Taiwan Authorities'
poor performance in the rescue operations.  Enditem









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