Chinese President Hu Jintao will state China's stance on global and regional economic developments at the 11th Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a regular news briefing in Beijing Tuesday.

Zhang said Hu will also put forward China's suggestions on promoting scientific and technological innovation, and regional labor and social security issues at the meeting that is due to be held in Bangkok, Thailand.

China believes APEC should comprehensively and squarely advance the APEC agenda and enhance cooperation in capacity-building so as to ensure an agenda conducive to the economic development of the region, Zhang said.

Zhang said the theme of this year's APEC meeting is "a world of differences, partnership for the future".

Members will discuss promotion of the multi-lateral trade system, trade liberalization, economic and technological cooperation, anti-terrorism and APEC reform.

China has paid great attention to APEC and has contributed to liberalizing trade and investment in Asia in economic and technical arenas, the spokeswoman said, while giving no direct response on whether the yuan's exchange rate would be discussed at the meeting.

"The basic stability of yuan's exchange is conducive to both regional and the world's economic development, and more and more countries have reached consensus on this,'' she said.

Chinese leaders have attended all previous APEC leaders' informal meetings and fully participated in APEC cooperation, the spokeswoman said.

Hu will pay state visits to Thailand, Australia and New Zealand from Oct. 17 to 27, and attend the 11th APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting in Bangkok from Oct. 20 to 21.

Turning to the Mideast issue, the spokeswoman said Chinese special envoy Wang Shijie will visit Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestine from October 18.

The special envoy will hold talks on the Middle East peace process and make constructive efforts to ease ongoing tensions in the region, Zhang said.

China is seriously concerned and worried about the Middle East turmoil. "China has called many times for the two sides (Palestine and Israel) to resolve their disputes through negotiations and end the violence.'' Zhang said.

Turning to the Iraq issue, the spokeswoman said China hopes all relevant parties can reach consensus on the United States' revised draft resolution on Iraq.

Zhang said China stands by the United Nations Security Council in approving a new resolution on the Iraq issue so as to help Iraq achieve security and peace and stability, resume sovereignty and carry out reconstruction at an early date.

China hopes the new resolution will nail down the UN's role in the reconstruction of Iraq, she said, adding that China is consulting with other parties on the new version of the draft resolution submitted recently by the United States.

She said the parties concerned should hasten to consult with each other and reach consensus on the resolution's major contents with an eye to the long-term interests of the Iraqi people.
 
Besides, according to the spokeswoman, a Chinese delegation will attend an international donors conference on Iraq's reconstruction in Madrid, capital of Spain, on Oct. 23 and 24.

The delegation would be led by Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang, said Zhang.

China always held an active view towards participating in the reconstruction in post-war Iraq, she said.

China supported the United Nations playing a key role in the reconstruction process, said Zhang, expressing the hope that the Iraqi people could reconstruct their country as soon as possible, and embark on a route of stabilization and development.

Turning to the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula, the spokeswoman said all parties concerned should create necessary conditions for the renewal of the six-party talks.

Zhang said the relevant parties had reached the consensus on peacefully resolving the nuclear issue through dialogue.

Zhang said China was glad that the United States had made positive gestures on solving the issue.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Oct. 10 that the United States was considering a multilateral security assurance for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Zhang said China hoped the six parties would actively display their sincerity by pushing forward the talks process.

Zhang expressed the hope that the six parties would contribute to the resolution of the nuclear issue with dialogue and find a peaceful resolution.

She said China would continue to consult and play its due role in the process.

Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed Asian issues, such as the Korean nuclear issue, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov in Moscow on Oct. 13. The two sides agreed that the issue should be resolved peacefully and through dialogue. This was also the consensus reached at the previous six-party talks in Beijing.

Zhang said the parties should maintain this consensus, strive to narrow differences and continue to push forward the process of six-party talks.

Also at yesterday's briefing, Zhang said China was pleased at the resumption of ambassador-level diplomatic relations with Liberia which took effect from October 11.

"China will go on supporting Liberia's peace process and working for its stability and construction,'' she said.

As developing countries, China and Liberia have much in common and should promote bilateral relations, the spokeswoman said.

United Nations diplomats have expressed the hope that China will participate in Liberian peacekeeping work. China has also expressed readiness to join and has recommended officials, military observers and civil police officers for the mission.

Turning to the Sino-Japanese relationship, the spokeswoman said that the proper treatment of historical issues formed the political basis of bilateral ties, as had been stressed by Premier Wen Jiabao when meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Bali, Indonesia.

She said China hoped Japan treated issues, including the Yasukuni Shrine visit, in line with the principle of "taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future."

She said China valued relations with Japan, and hoped to see continued exchanges of high-level visits, which entailed efforts from both sides. However, at such an important period for the development of China-Japan relations, China felt puzzled by the remarks of the Japanese side concerning the Yasukuni Shrine visit.

Koizumi has announced that he will visit the shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism which honors more than 2.5 million Japanese World War II dead, including 14 Class-A war criminals, every year.

Zhang hoped Japan would see clearly the importance of historical issues in the two countries' relations and the sensitivity of the Yasukuni Shrine, observe the principles set forth in the three important political documents, including the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, and give real importance to the good development of bilateral ties.

She said both China and Japan must continue efforts to maintain exchanges of high-level visits.

(Sources including Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, October 15, 2003)