Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing Thursday at a regular press conference that China firmly opposes deporting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, or threatening his security in any form.

Kong made this remark when asked to comment on the United States veto of a United Nations resolution demanding that Israel not harm or expel Arafat.

Kong noted the Middle East situation is now in a difficult phase, and China calls for an immediate cessation of the suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians.

China also condemns Israel's targeted assassinations of militant leaders on the occupied territories, Kong said.

If the "tit for tat" actions could not be stopped, the peace process in the Middle East could by no means be promoted, Kong stressed.

China hopes that Israel and Palestine coordinate with the international community's efforts and cease the revengeful actions to steer the local situation back to the right track of political resolution, Kong said.

China voted for a UN draft resolution demanding Israel not harm or deport Arafat.
 
According to the spokesman, Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan will visit the United States in the second half of next month.

Kong, declining to say if nuclear issues regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be on the agenda, said the visit is still under discussion.

Military exchanges between China and the United States play an important part in bilateral relations and are conducive to deepening mutual understanding and expanding consensus, Kong said.

"Of course, I think he will also have an opportunity to exchange views with persons in charge of the US military on international and regional matters of mutual concern," the spokesman said.

Kong said China attaches great importance to its relations with the United States, and the two nations have much in common and of course a lot of differences. However, the Chinese side holds that there is more consensus than differences. 

Kong acknowledged China and the US, representing respectively the largest developing country and the largest developed nation, share both consensus and differences.

China has always hoped that the United States would appropriately handle the Taiwan issue, which is the core and most vital issue in China-US relations, Kong said, stressing that the US side should strictly abide by the three joint communiques, adhere to the one-China policy and oppose the "independence of Taiwan", which has been reaffirmed by the US leaders time and again.

It has been China's persistent hope that Sino-US ties would progress in a healthy and stable way, the spokesman said. The Chinese side is ready to make joint efforts with the US side to strengthen mutual trust and understanding, expand consensus and mutually beneficial cooperation, and spur the growth of bilateral ties in more spheres.
 
Kong also noted that China and the United States should properly handle occasional problems and friction in bilateral trade relations.

"Bilateral trade relations will develop in a healthy and stable manner only when the two sides solve the problems through dialogue on the basis of enhanced mutual understanding and trust," Kong said.

Kong said Sino-US trade relations are mutually beneficial and the two sides should consult one another on an equal footing and take a pragmatic attitude in solving issues.

The United States is now China's second largest trade partner while China is the fourth largest trade partner for the United States.

China's market will further expand now that it is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Sino-US trade and economic cooperation will expand and deepen along with that, Kong said.

"We cannot accept the claim that China has not fully honored its commitments after joining the WTO," Kong said. "The fact is that China has made huge efforts to honor its commitments with a very serious and responsible attitude."

China has cut its general levels of tariffs from 15.3 percent in 2001 to the current 12 percent, abolished some non-tariff measures and gradually promoted the openness of services and goods markets.

Kong said China has reformed its laws and regulations for compliance with WTO requirements and China's commitments and it has set up consultation mechanisms to increase transparency.

Turning to the Sino-Russian ties, Kong said the imminent eighth regular meeting between the Chinese premier and Russian prime minister will make an appraisal of the overall bilateral relations and plan further cooperation, including on energy resources.

Noting that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov will visit China from Sept. 24 to 25 to meet and confer with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, the spokesman said that before that, Ma Kai, Chinese minister in charge of the State Development and Reform Commission, had attended an important meeting in Moscow, in which chief officials of both countries' energy resource administrations had an in-depth exchange of views on energy resource cooperation.

The two sides also reached consensus on further cooperation in projects like the Sino-Russian crude oil pipeline project, based on principles affirmed in the joint statement signed in May this year, the spokesman added.

(Sources including Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, September 19, 2003)