The Chinese Embassy in Moscow has kept close contact and worked in close cooperation with the Russian side to search for the missing Chinese students and organized survived Chinese students to identify the bodies of students who died in the fire, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao in Beijing Tuesday.  

No specific information about the Chinese students killed in the fire in the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University in Moscow has been confirmed yet, but Liu said at a regular press conference that 39 injured students are being treated in eight hospitals with three discharged from hospital but12 students are still missing.

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang and embassy officials have visited the injured students and the Chinese Embassy has taken measures to properly accommodate other survived students, Liu said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has publicized the telephone numbers for the families of the Chinese students to contact for any available information, Liu acknowledged.

The spokesman said China urged the Russian side to investigate and find out as soon as possible the cause of the fire, and search for the missing students, adding China hoped that Russia would provide convenience to the families of the Chinese students for visa applications.

He went on to say that the Russian side highly heeded the fire tragedy and promised to find out the cause and the missing students and convey the timely information to the Chinese side.

Meanwhile, the Russian side has promised to take effective, substantial measures to guarantee the safety of foreign students including Chinese students in Russia and avoid similar accidents in the future, Liu stressed.

Turning to the current China-US trade disputes, the spokesman said they should be properly tackled through equal consultation.

In response to a US journalist's question on the trade disputes between China and the United States, Liu said great achievements had been made in the China-US trade ties and trade cooperation since the two countries established diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago.

He said the expansion of trade and the development of economic cooperation between the two sides serve the fundamental interests of the Chinese and American peoples.

Therefore, the Chinese side hopes to properly solve these trade issues through equal consultation, so as to ensure the sound development of the bilateral ties, the spokesman said.

Liu said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in an interview with The Washington Post last week, suggested establishing a mechanism for regular coordination and cooperation between China and the United States to tackle the problems that might come up.

Liu said, according to Wen, this will be one of the proposals he will bring to the United States during his coming US visit, and he held that the establishment of such a mechanism will provide guarantees for equal consultations as a way to handle disputes between China and the United States.

Liu added that Premier Wen also said that arbitrarily imposing sanctions or restrictions will not help solve the problem, but on the contrary, it will hurt the interests of both sides.

Wen voiced his hopes that the China-US trade disputes could be properly tackled through consultation between the two sides, according to Liu.

With respect to Chinese premier’s upcoming visit to the United States, the spokesman said as the most important and sensitive issue in the Sino-US relationship, the Taiwan question will be high on the agenda between Wen and US leaders.

Wen will discuss bilateral relations and other major international issues of concern when meeting US President George W. Bush and other US leaders, Liu said.

He will also attend several functions in Washington DC, New York and Boston during his December 7-10 stay.

China welcomes and appreciates Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha's speech on its policy regarding China, Liu said when asked to respond to Sinha's weekend address.

Sinha said in his speech that India and China are seeking improved relations with each other without pre-conditions.

Liu said China is willing to further improve its long-term constructive cooperative partnership with India, based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.

A very important component of Chinese diplomacy, the promotion of friendship with India not only complies with the interests of the two nations and their peoples, but also benefits regional peace and stability.

Liu recalled Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to China in June, saying it signified that Sino-Indian relations had entered a new era.

China is satisfied with the positive growing momentum of bilateral ties and is willing to explore cooperative relations with India across the board.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, is in India at the moment.

China's steady development constitutes no threat to any country and will benefit regional stability and prosperity, Xinhua quoted Jia as saying during a Monday meeting with Sinha.

In response to a journalist's question on the package of moves and proposals announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Nov. 23, the spokesman said China welcomes and appreciates the moves and proposals to enhance trust between Pakistan and India and further ease the two countries' relations.

Liu said that more trust and better relations between Pakistan and India not only serve the interests of the two countries and the two peoples, but also be conducive to regional peace and development.

China sincerely hopes that both sides can continue to ease their bilateral ties, resume dialogue as early as possible and remove their difference peacefully, said Liu.

In response to a question on the timetable that the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) and US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) had recently set concerning the handover of sovereignty to Iraqis, the spokesman said China hopes that the Iraqis will administrate their own affairs as soon as possible.

Liu said China hopes for an early stability of the Iraq situation. China is consistently supporting the United Nations in its role in Iraq reconstruction and in helping Iraq realize peace, stability and development, he added.

China will continue to play its due role in Iraq reconstruction, said Liu.

The CPA and the IGC reached an agreement on Nov. 15, setting a timetable for the transfer of power to the Iraqis next June.

Turning to the Korean nuclear issue, the spokesman said China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) recently conducted productive and timely consultations on the preparations for the second round of six-party talks.

Kim Yong Il, DPRK deputy foreign minister, paid a visit to China from Nov. 22 to 24, said Liu, adding that Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Vice Foreign Ministers Dai Bingguo and Wang Yi held meetings and talks with him.

Liu said both sides exchanged views on the preparations for the second round of six-party talks. The DPRK reiterated its goal of denuclearization and expressed willingness to make efforts for the fresh round of talks, Liu said.

China believes that despite its complexity, a peaceful solution to the Korean nuclear issue is the only right choice, hoping that all parties concerned can make concerted efforts to be fully prepared for the talks, Liu said.

Also according to the spokesman, the consultations on the second round of six-party talks by all related parties have so far been beneficial.

Liu said China hopes that through efforts by all parties, the second round of talks can be held at an early date and progress can be made during the talks.

Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Director of the Asian Affairs Department of the Foreign Ministry Fu Ying met with visiting Yevgeny Afanasyev, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's No.1 Asian Department on Nov. 17, said Liu, adding that China and Russia exchanged views on the preparations for the six-party talks.

In another development, the spokesman said those who illegally cross the border to China from the DPRK should not be recognized as refugees, but as illegal immigrants.

China has stated on many occasions that "those people are simply illegal immigrants because they flee to China for economic reasons," Liu said.

He noted that China handles the illegal immigrants in accordance with China's laws, international laws and humanitarian principles, adding that China will continue its policy on this issue.

In response to a question that Jon Yong Il and another foreigner who planned to leave China with fake Republic of Korea (ROK) passports had been arrested by Chinese police on Nov. 13 at the airport in Hangzhou, capital city of southeast Zhejiang Province, the spokesman said China will deal with these two foreigners according to relevant Chinese and international laws.

The two people with fake passports are suspected of illegal entrance into China, said Liu, stressing that their behaviors violated China's relevant laws.

(Sources including Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, November 26, 2003)