The salvaging is governed by Chinese laws and involves various elements such as the sea environment and fishery resources, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan.

Two months ago, patrol vessels of the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency chased and fired at an unidentified ship in China's exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea. The Chinese Government has expressed serious concerns about the incident, requesting Japan's respect of China's rights, interests and concerns.

Kong said that according to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea, the rights of the coastal country should be considered in its exclusive economic zone.

Kong said that China has sent law enforcement boats to the sea area in question.

In other news, Kong expressed serious concern about Taiwan's plan to rename its representative offices abroad.

"If they are to reflect a separate identity for incremental independence, it will meet opposition from Chinese people,'' Kong said.

Currently the representative offices go by such names as trade missions, special delegations or Taipei economic and cultural offices in countries that do not recognize Taiwan.

Taiwanese media reported that the names would be changed to either the "Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office'' or the "Taiwan Representative Office.''

"This can only increase the tension between the two sides, and the Taiwanese authorities will 'pay for it,' '' Kong said

Kong called on countries with diplomatic relations with China to guard against this act by Taiwan to create two Chinas or one China and one Taiwan.

"We call on the states to honour their commitments on the Taiwan question,'' Kong said.

The spokesman also warned the United States against selling arms to Taiwan. He was referring to media reports that Taiwan wanted to buy 30 US-made AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters.

"The sale of weapons by the United States undermines bilateral ties and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits,'' Kong said.

Kong said that Chinese Government has always opposed the "Taiwan Relations Act'' and has urged the United States to abide by the three communiques between China and the United States.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin's impending visit to Viet Nam will accelerate the development of Sino-Vietnamese relations in the 21st century, said Kong Quan.

He said the visit which begins Wednesday, will have great significance and a profound influence on bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries, which normalized relations in 1991.

Jiang, also the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is making the three-day official goodwill visit at the invitation of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nong Duc Manh and the Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong.

(China Daily February 27, 2002)