US support for Taiwan WHO entry criticized
( 2002-03-27 09:56 ) (1 )

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue yesterday reiterated China's strong opposition to the United States over Washington's support for Taiwan's efforts to join the World Health Organization.

At Tuesday's scheduled press briefing in Beijing, Zhang said: "Taiwan is making a political issue of joining the WHO under the pretence of a health matter."

"Actually, Taiwan is attempting to split the motherland within the organization," Zhang added.

She was responding to the comment by a US State Department spokesperson that the US would continue its support for Taiwan's efforts to join the organization.

Zhang said: "We urge the US to stop interfering in China's internal affairs via the Taiwan question and to strictly abide by the three Sino-US joint communiques and the one-China policy."

Commenting on a report that China has denied permission for a US navy destroyer to make a port of call in Hong Kong, Zhang said China makes case-by-case examinations of applications by foreign aircraft and ships to visit Hong Kong, in accordance with the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Turning to a report that the Republic of Korea will send a special envoy to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea early next month, Zhang said China hopes the two sides can continually improve their relations and that the Korean peninsula will be peaceful and stable.

The spokeswoman also said that an international conference on a disarmament agenda for the 21st century will be held in Beijing from April 2 to 4.

The conference, co-sponsored by the United Nations and the Chinese Foreign Ministry, will cover various disarmament issues, such as defence policies, nuclear disarmament, the elimination of nuclear danger, the prevention of an arms race in outer space, missile proliferation and missile defence, Zhang said.