Commenting on the reported pilot training programme, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said: "the Chinese government strongly opposes any exchange of an official nature between Taiwan and countries with diplomatic relations with China, particularly in the military field."

"We hope the relevant countries will honour their commitments and refrain from doing anything that will encroach on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity or interfere with China's internal affairs."

A Taiwanese newspaper reported that military pilots from the UAE and France will fly Taiwanese jet fighters under training agreements signed with Taiwan.

Taiwanese pilots will also be trained in the UAE and France for a year. The agreements will take effect from Monday.

At Thursday's regular news briefing, Zhang also commented on recent developments in the Middle East peace process.

China hopes that Palestine and Israel will implement the agreement reached in Sharm el-Sheikh to ease tensions in the region, said Zhang.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were scheduled to meet at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh over proposals put forward by the United States Thursday, before Barak cancelled the trip.

Also at the briefing, Zhang announced that Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Peng would visit India between January 9 and 16, to promote "continued healthy and stable development of good relations and cooperation between the two countries."

Zhang said Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan will visit Turkey, Libya, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola between January 6 and 17.

During the visit, the first by the minister since the October Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Tang will push for the implementation of the forum recommendations.

(China Daily 12/29/2000)