China opposes and condemns the assassination of the Palestinian Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin by Israel, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing Tuesday.  

Kong told a regular news briefing that China advocates resolving the dispute through dialogue and negotiation, stressing such stance on the Mideast issue is "consistent."

The international community made a strong response after Yassin's assassination. It was the second time that Kong commented on the incident.

"We think that the 'target assassination' adopted by Israel is unhelpful to resolving the problem," Kong said.

He urged all sides to keep restraint and avoid acts that may lead to further escalation of the already tense situation.

It was reported that Israeli Apache helicopters fired three missiles at Yassin and his two bodyguards at daybreak Monday as they left a mosque near his house, killing them instantly.

Yassin, who founded Hamas in 1987, was held in Israeli prisons for several years before being released in 1994.

In another development, the spokesman said the US decision to introduce an anti-China human rights motion at a UN human rights conference is a "severe interference in China's internal affairs."

The Chinese government and people express strong indignation at and are firmly opposed to the US move, Kong said in a statement.

Kong said that the US decision was made with a motive on its domestic politics rather than care for human rights, which marked an attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs under the disguise of human rights.

Kong stressed that the US decision has politicized the human rights issue, and therefore tarnished the sacred cause of human rights. Such an unpopular attempt will be futile, he said.

"The Chinese government has paid great attention to the promotion of human rights and earnestly implemented relevant human rights convention it has joined," Kong said.

China has been strengthening its construction on democracy and rule of law and its reform of the judicial system in order to improve the protection of human rights, Kong said, noting the fact that China wrote the respect and protection of human rights into its Constitution earlier this month.

Kong said China has made remarkable progress in the protection of human rights, which has won praises from the international community widely.

Recognizing that differences exist between China and the United States on the issue of human rights, Kong said such differences should be properly addressed through dialogue and exchange "on the basis of equality and mutual respect."

"China has made unremitting efforts and showed utmost sincerity and flexibility in this regard," he said.

The spokesman also confirmed that Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing called US Secretary of State Colin Powell on the evening of March 21 and they talked about Saturday's election in the Taiwan region during their phone conversation.

During the conversation, the spokesman said, Foreign Minister Li asked the US side to abide by the one-China policy and do more to benefit the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits as well as the development of relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Secretary of State Powell reiterated that the United States will abide by the one-China policy, Kong said.

Kong said China has noticed the US attitudes on the current events in Taiwan. "We must point out that the election in the Taiwan region is only a local election of China and no matter what outcome it produced, it cannot alter the fact that Taiwan is a part of China."

"China has made no special requests to the United States," Kong said, adding that China's only request is that the United States abide by the policies made and reiterated time and again by itself, including the one-China policy, the three Sino-US joint communiqués, opposition to the "Taiwan independence" and to any attempt in words and deeds by leaders of Taiwan authority to unilaterally change the status quo of Taiwan and seek independence.

Taiwan authority said they have received congratulations on the election from certain countries, but that was denied by the countries, noted Kong.

The spokesman went on to say that the international community has expressed clear opposition to the current situation in Taiwan and China hopes the international community could join hands to maintain peace and stability in the region.

"Of course, the crux of matter is to abide by the one-China principle," he added.

Turning to Li Zhaoxing's visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the spokesman said both China and the DPRK attach importance to this event.

Li left Beijing for the DPRK on Tuesday noon for a three-day official visit at the invitation of his DPRK counterpart Paek Nam-sun.

It is Chinese FM's first DPRK visit in the past five years, Kong said. During his stay, Li will exchange views with the DPRK leaders on bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest, he added.

According to Kong, all sides of the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula have kept close contact for the setting-up of working groups after the second rounds of talks held in Beijing last February.

China and the DPRK will also have in-depth exchanges of views on the issue, Kong said.

The six-party talks grouped China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan.

Also at yesterday's briefing, Kong told reporters that the Chinese government will try its utmost and every possible means through various channels to ensure the safety of the Chinese worker who remains kidnapped in Sudan.

Two Chinese workers were abducted on March 13 while working on a well-digging project by anti-government militants at Darfurat Darfur, 80 kilometers from Buram in the west.

Kong said that one of the workers has escaped to a safe place and he is now in good shape.

The Chinese Embassy in Sudan proved the worker managed to escape to a safe place dominated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on March 20, while the second Chinese worker was still in the hands of anti-government rebels.

The Chinese government urged the anti-government militants in Sudan to release the other hostage as soon as possible, Kong said.

"Latest close contacts have indicated that the health situation of the other Chinese worker is good,'' said Kong, without disclosing any detailed information.

Kong appreciated efforts by some countries and international organizations to rescue the abducted Chinese workers.

In news about Iraq, the spokesman said Bahr Ul-Uloum, president of the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), will pay a visit to China from March 25 to 27.

It is the first tour paid by the IGC president to China. Chinese leaders will exchange views with Bahr Ul-Uloum on Sino-Iraqi relations and issues of common concern, Kong said.

Through fully discussing topics of mutual interest and gaining a better understanding of the internal situation in Iraq, China hopes to play a positive role in the reconstruction of Iraq, the spokesman said.

Kong also announced that Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Qader Bajammal will pay an official visit to China from March 28 to March 31 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

(Sources including Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, March 24, 2004)