China resolutely opposes and will absolutely not accept Japan's attempt to impose pressure on it with a third country, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said at a regular press conference in Beijing Tuesday.  

The Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets, noted Zhang, have been an integral part of the Chinese territory since ancient times.

The spokeswoman made the remarks in response to the question of a reporter who referred to a Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman as reportedly saying recently that the United States would fulfill its obligation of defense in view of the security pact with Japan if the Diaoyu Islands were attacked.

Turning to the recently occurred Morecambe Bay tragedy in northwest England, the spokeswoman said the Chinese government is deeply concerned about the deaths of cockle-pickers, and has kept close contact with the British police.

Zhang said that 19 people were reported dead and 14 survived in the tragedy as of February 7. They were collecting cockles in the bay but were swallowed by the surging tide on the night of February 5.

More victims might be found as the rescue work went on, while the British police suspected criminal groups' involvement in the disaster and investigation was under way, Zhang said, noting that the British side believed the victims were Chinese.

The Chinese Embassy in UK and the consulate general in Manchester lost no time in contacting the British side for information as soon as the tragedy occurred, she said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing asked the Chinese General Consulate Deng Boqing to identify the victims as soon as possible.

At the same time, Li has called for Britain's cooperation to seek the missing victims and rescue the wounded.

"China is maintaining a close relationship with Britain in this respect," the spokeswoman said, adding that China was waiting for more detailed information from the British side.

Zhang also reiterated China's firm policy against illegal migrants and stowaways, saying China was willing to work with the British government to fight the multi-national crime of illegal migration.

In another development, the spokeswoman said Chinese mission members will arrive in Iraq soon to make preparations for reopening the Chinese Embassy there.

Zhang said that the mission, still in Jordan now, is headed by Chinese interim Charge d 'Affairs to Iraq Sun Bigan, and is composed of seven staff members and six security guards.

Turning to the ongoing sixth China-US defense consultations, Zhang said the two sides will exchange views in depth on their military relations and Chinese military leaders will expound on China's stance on the Taiwan issue.

Zhang said that the two-day sixth round of consultations on defense at the vice defense ministerial level between China and the United States started in Beijing Tuesday morning.

She said the Chinese side is headed by Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the US side by Douglas Jay Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy.

Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan, who is also vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, will meet separately with Feith, the spokeswoman added.

The annual consultations between the defense departments of the two countries began in 1997. The previous consultations have been held in Washington and Beijing alternately. The fifth round was held in December 2002 in Washington.

Commenting on the report which says that US Congressmen Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos alleged that China obtained from US aviation giant Boeing military navigation technology used on advanced US missiles and warplanes in a sale that was improperly approved by the US State Department, the spokeswoman said the allegation is completely groundless.

Zhang said Boeing sold passenger planes to many countries and the aircraft, imports by Chinese airlines for civil aviation and transportation, were the same models and had the same equipment as those purchased by airlines of other nations.

China had noted that a Boeing spokesman had made it clear that the company's action was completely in line with the export rules of the United States, she said.

According to the spokeswoman, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi left Beijing Tuesday on a visit to Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) for talks on security issues and the second round of six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue.

Zhang said that Wang will attend the ninth China-Japan security consultations during his stay there. Security and other issues of mutual concern will be discussed.

From Feb. 13 to 15, Wang will visit the ROK and exchange views on China-ROK relations and the upcoming second round of six-party talks.

Delegations from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, China, Russia, Japan and the ROK will attend the second round six-party talks, scheduled to begin in Beijing on Feb.25.

The first round of six-party talks was held in Beijing last August and concluded without concrete results.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2004)