—At the Press Conference of the Fifth Session of the 10th National People's Congress

The Fifth Session of the 10th National People's Congress held a press conference at the Great Hall of the People on March 6, 2007. At the invitation of Spokesman of the session Jiang Enzhu, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing answered questions from Chinese and foreign press on China's foreign policy, international and regional affairs. The following is an outline of his answers.

Li Zhaoxing: Let me extend my welcome and thanks to all the journalists covering the two sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). In his Report on the Work of the Government, Premier Wen Jiabao expounded on China's foreign policy and the diplomatic work. Now I'm ready to take your questions.

Non-Interference a Necessary Condition for a Harmonious World

China Radio International: In recent years, the Chinese Government has vigorously advocated the building of a harmonious world. How do you envision this kind of the world? What will the Chinese Government do to make this objective a reality? In addition, some people criticize China for its reluctance to pressure countries on human rights violations and corruption, saying China uses the excuse of not wanting to interfere in those countries' internal affairs. What is your view on this?

Li: Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Chinese Government advocate the building of a harmonious society and a harmonious world, and China sticks to peaceful development, harmonious development, scientific development and sustainable development, which conform to the trend of the times and to the wish and interests of the people.

In diplomacy, China is committed to promoting peaceful coexistence, equal treatment of each other, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. China is also committed to pursuing good-neighborliness and mutual trust, resolving disputes through dialogues and other diplomatic means, seeking common security and lasting peace. Meanwhile, China is committed to boosting exchanges and learning from others, building a resource saving and environmentally friendly society and enhancing cooperation in these fields.

The United Nations Charter establishes the principle of non-interference in one another's internal affairs. According to the provision, the United Nations, as the largest inter-governmental organization in the world, should not interfere in the internal affairs of its member countries. Any country should not interfere in the internal affairs of another country, either. In fact, mutual respect and non-interference in one another's internal affairs is a necessary condition for building a harmonious world.

Six-Party Talks Effective in Resolving Korean Peninsula Nuclear Issue

KBS of the Republic of Korea: Recently, the Working Group of the Six-Party Talks has started their meetings. China is the Chair of the Working Group of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. What kind of the plan does China have as chair of this meeting, and what measures does China have on its mind regarding what steps are going to be taken after the 60 days period of initial actions?

Li: Thanks to China's mediation and the mutual efforts by the parties concerned, the third session of the fifth round of six-party talks has made progress, with a joint document on the first step toward the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula adopted. 
Facts have proven that the six-party talks are a practical and effective means to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. According to the joint document, related working groups on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and other fields will start work no later than nine days.

The implementation of the joint document, as well as promoting the development of the six-party talks and the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, is of great importance for maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. It is my hope that all sides in the six-party talks honor their commitments. China advocates peacefully resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through dialogue, and China is willing to keep in close contact with all the parties concerned, including South Korea, to make new progress in the six-party talks.

President Hu's Visit to Russia to Further Strategic artnership

The Interfax News Agency of Russia: It has been reported that President Hu Jintao will pay a visit to Russia later this month. What will be the agenda items covered by President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterparts in these talks?

Li: At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Hu Jintao will visit Russia once again. There will be many items on the agenda between the two presidents. Let me share with you one of them—the hosting of the "Year of Russia" in China and the "Year of China" in Russia. It is an important step towards implementation of the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. Last year was the "Year of Russia" in China during which more than 300 events and activities were jointly held by the two countries. These activities have helped to increase our traditional friendship, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and friendship and further enrich the China-Russia strategic partnership in coordination. This year marks the "Year of China" in Russia, and during the year, the two countries will hold around 200 events and activities.

Top leaders, governments, relevant departments and the peoples of the two countries are working together to deepen the traditional friendship, raise the level of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, so as to boost the common development of the two countries and to make new contributions to world peace and development.

Chinese Aid Without Political Pressure

Bloomberg: China is now making a peaceful rise. During this process, China's influence is also on the rise. Yet China keeps saying that it will not interfere in other's internal affairs. How is it possible to do this without exerting influence on other countries while staying away from interfering in other countries' internal affairs? I have also read about the visit paid by President Hu Jintao to Sudan, during which President Hu encouraged his Sudanese counterpart to cooperate with the United Nations on the Darfur issues. What was the objective of President Hu Jintao, when he was trying to persuade his Sudanese counterpart, isn't this a kind of interference in Sudan's affairs? How do you balance not interfering in internal affairs, but only being able to have influence on this country?

Li: On the eve of the Chinese New Year, President Hu Jintao paid state visits to eight African countries within a short span of 12 days. One of the focuses of these visits was to implement the proposals and initiatives put forward by the Chinese Government at the Beijing Summit on the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation last year, aimed at promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and providing necessary and helpful assistance to African countries to the best of our ability.

China is still a developing country. We still face problems of uneven development among different regions and between rural and urban areas. The Chinese people themselves haven't yet lived a well-off life. There is still a long way to go for China to make further achievements in its national, economic and social development. But we also hold a conviction that helping others means helping ourselves. We have provided sincere assistance to African countries. All of the assistance is without any political conditions attached. Our cooperation with Africa has also been practical and of mutual benefit.

China is committed to the path of peaceful development and has played a positive role in the international community. We will always be a force for peace, cooperation and development. I have mentioned an important norm governing international relations. That is stipulated in Article Two of Chapter One in the UN Charter. The norm is non-interference in each other's internal affairs. I can hardly imagine the world can maintain harmony and peaceful development if any country or international organization intends to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. We believe that all countries should carry out equal and friendly negotiations, and China is willing to hold such dialogues with African countries and all countries in other parts of the world.

During his visit in Sudan, President Hu Jintao clarified the Chinese Government's stance on the Darfur issue. What he did was welcomed by the people in Sudan, by Sudan's neighbors, by African people and all peace-loving people in this world who speak for justice. To put it simply, as far as the Darfur issue is concerned, the Chinese Government welcomes and supports the consensus reached between the United Nations, the African Union and the Sudanese Government. On more than one occasion, the Chinese Government has provided humanitarian assistance to people of the Darfur region in Sudan. We also hope that the international community will make every effort to provide real help and assistance for people in this region.

Japan Should Face Up to History

Hong Kong Cable TV: Recently Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made remarks regarding "comfort women," saying Japan refused to apologize about the issue of "comfort women" any longer. What influence will this have on China-Japan relations? Will this kind of comment cast a shadow over the coming visit by Premier Wen Jiabao to Japan?

Li: It is a historical fact that the "comfort women" issue is one of the  serious crimes committed by Japanese troops during the World War II. Japan should face up to history, take the responsibility, and seriously view and properly handle the issue of "comfort women." 
History, in my view, is a strong progressive force. It should not become a burden that impedes progress. Truth is always simple and plain. The Japanese Government should take history as a mirror and look forward to the future to properly handle the China-Japan relations.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties, and we should grasp this important opportunity to handle the fundamental political issues concerning bilateral relationship and to expand and deepen exchanges and cooperation, as well as maintain and sustain the momentum for the turn-around, improvement and growth of China-Japan relations.

At the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Premier Wen Jiabao is going to pay an official visit to Japan in April. It will be the first time a Chinese leader has visited the country in seven years, therefore the visit is of high significance in advancing and planning cooperation between the two nations in all fields.

I still recall a line of Chinese characters I saw when visiting the beautiful and historic Japanese city of Kyoto. In a temple in Kyoto, it reads, "No one can block the road of advance." This strikes me, as lasting friendship between the peoples of China and Japan is the path that we should firmly stay on, and no force can stop us from doing this.

Call Upon Iran to Step Up Cooperation with IAEA

CCTV: As we can see, the situation regarding the Iranian nuclear issue has been escalating recently. Officials from the US and European Union have already stated that the permanent five members of the UN Security Council and Germany have begun discussions regarding the draft of a new resolution imposing sanctions on Iran. What is China's view in regards to the efforts taken by the international community to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and what will China do to help resolve the issue? I would also like to ask you, as a foreign minister who makes many trips abroad, have you ever calculated how much time you spent overseas, including on planes, last year? I think, from a certain perspective, this reflects the efforts made by the Chinese Foreign Service in the past year.

Li: China has faithfully fulfilled its obligation as a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We firmly uphold the integrity of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. We have always stood for the resolution of the Iran nuclear issue through diplomatic efforts; it is in the interests of all sides concerned. China has participated in negotiations of five plus one (the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council plus Germany) from its very beginning. We believe that the resolution adopted by the United Nations should be implemented.

We welcome, support and also call upon Iran to step up its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We hope that Iran will cherish its negotiation channels with the European Union, Russia and other countries. In my view, nothing else on earth is more precious than peace. We hope that all the efforts of the international community can help restore diplomatic negotiations, and all the actions by the UN Security Council will boost peace and stability in this region.

When I was still in middle school, I had a dream of becoming a journalist like you. One of the reasons I wanted to become a journalist was to travel as much as possible by car, by train and particularly by plane. However, I didn't really make it in the end. But today, as you have said, I also travel a lot as foreign minister of China. According to the statistics calculated by our protocol official that in 2006, I accompanied President Hu Jintao on 4 overseas visits, Premier Wen Jiabao on 3 overseas visits and I myself paid 7 visits to foreign countries and regions. Altogether I traveled to 50 countries last year.

I remember a catch phrase popular among the young people when I was one of them, that is, the outside world is always splendid. But now, what I will never forget, and cherish most, is my visits to those countries living under great difficulties. For instance, I have visited 47 of the 53 countries on the African continent—the continent that is the home to the largest number of developing countries.

One of my most memorable visits overseas is the one that I paid to seven African countries within 11 days at the beginning of 2007. Most of the seven countries I visited are located at or around the equator. They have hot weather year-round and also lots of mosquitoes, but I was particularly impressed and struck by the hard-working, intelligent and courageous people there, as well as their sincere friendship towards the Chinese people.

When I met the people of those countries, it felt like I saw my own relatives. China will never forget the valuable assistance and support the African people have given to it, particularly the valuable support for the restoration of People's Republic's legitimate seat in the UN.
It is somewhat exhausting to travel so much and visit so many countries, but I believe it is also something joyful, happy and part of my responsibility to do my humble bit for world peace and make as many friends as possible for my country.

I am also very much encouraged by those Chinese journalists, engineers and particularly doctors who are working hard in those countries with tough natural conditions. Since 1956 China has sent 16,000 medical workers/times to African countries, helping treat 240 million local patients/times.

Another thing that particularly inspires me is, when I came back to Beijing from the African equator, I didn't expect there were so many young friends trying to see me. They all have the same request, that is, to find a way to send them to African countries as volunteers so as to enable them to work together with African people and make Africa a more beautiful and prosperous place.

Ready to Consult with Japan on East China Sea

Mainichi Shinbun: In Japan people see China's rise as an opportunity for their country, but also feel a bit threatened by it. As we can see, East Asia will soon usher in a new era with coexistence of these two big powers. What can the two countries do to handle relations in the political, economic and security realm, as well as with UN affairs, so as to ensure that further development can be promoted in East Asia? Secondly, regarding the upcoming visit by Premier Wen Jiabao to Japan in April, what are the plans of both governments to make this visit a success and further promote the development of our relationship?

Li: In October last year, China and Japan overcame political obstacles and reached agreements on facilitating healthier development of bilateral relations, putting the Sino-Japanese ties back on the right track towards improvement and development. The result came from the concerted efforts of both countries, efforts of both governments and peoples. It didn't come by easily and should be dearly cherished by both countries.

We will continue to work with the Japanese side to strive for the healthy and steady development of China-Japan relations. We stand ready to sow the seeds of a friendly and good-neighborly relationship as well as promote cooperation with Japan in the spirit of three political documents created between the two countries. We also stand ready to enhance cooperation with Japan in all areas including economy, trade, science, technology, environmental protection as well as regional and international affairs. We will also carry forward on consultation with Japan regarding the issue of East China Sea. We shall stay focused on development between the countries and try to find acceptable ways for both sides to resolve this issue, so that we will make the sea a sea of friendship, cooperation and peace. We also hope that Japan plays an important role in regional and international affairs.

Maybe you also have the UN Security Council reform on your mind. The Security Council reform is a multilateral issue. We stand ready to join in on the multinational, democratic discussion with all sides, including Japan. The two foreign ministries can also stay in touch and carry out consultation and coordination regarding all the aforementioned issues.

Not long ago I paid a visit to your country and was warmly welcome there. I have full confidence that Premier Wen's upcoming visit to Japan will be a success.

Against "Taiwan Independent" Statements of Chen Shui-bian

TVBS of Taiwan: During the two sessions of the NPC and CPPCC, Chen Shui-bian made comments about how Taiwan wants name rectifications and Taiwan wants independence. Do you think this is the rejection of his previous "5-No's" commitment and what will be the response of China's mainland? My second question is, that actually, Mr. Foreign Minister, you are very popular in Taiwan; many Taiwan people have a keen interest in you. In your view, after your retirement, what kind of person, and with what kind of qualities or personality, can make a good successor to you, so as to carry forward China's foreign policy?

Li: As regards the pro-independence secessionist remarks and statements made by Chen Shui-bian recently, the leading officials from the Taiwan Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council have already responded to it and stated our stern position and attitude.

I'm particularly fond of the island of treasures, Taiwan, and this island is always on my mind wherever I go. One time I went to Qinghai Province and I went to a mountain called the "mountain of sun and moon."  This reminded me immediately of the "lake of sun and moon" on the island of Taiwan. And I felt that this mountain and that lake are brothers or sisters.

The thing that I worry about least is talent. I believe that China is blessed with a bountiful number of talented people. As you asked about what kind of person will be able to succeed me after I retire, I think there will be so many qualified people to succeed me, who will be even more qualified than me as a foreign minister in every aspect, and I have full confidence in this fact. In my view, one of the fundamental qualities for a person to become a leader and can be called a leader is to love his country as much as he loves his mother. Only when a person loves his own country, can he love the people and the progressive cause of all mankind.

Korean Peninsula Denuclearization Close Related to Northeast Asian Peace

Agence France-Presse: My question regards the Six-Party Talks. In another 40 days there will be a Six-Party Ministerial Conference as proposed in the common document and will be the first conference of that kind among the six parties. What do you expect from this kind of ministerial conference and what progress do you think should be made at this conference? What do you think will be some of the obstacles to it? Will the Six-Party Talks be turned into a security mechanism in Northeast Asia?

Li: The Joint Document adopted on September 19, 2005 is a very important diplomatic document and the result of hard negotiations. Following the spirit of this important document, it is imperative for the six parties to translate their commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula into concrete action. This is of high importance to peace and stability for the peninsula and is also connected to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

The progress achieved in the latest third phase of the fifth round of six-party talks is a further step to achieve the common goal. I hope all relevant working groups will carry forward their work as scheduled and make concrete progress so that we will be able to gradually move closer and finally attain the common goal of denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula.

China Sends 5,000 Peacekeepers to UN Operations

China Daily: As China's global influence rises, more countries would like China to assume more international responsibility. What is your response to this suggestion?

Li: The Chinese Government administers the country according to law. We observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We earnestly fulfill our international obligations. China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace. We safeguard our own lawful rights and interests and also respect the lawful rights and interests of other countries. We stand for resolving differences through negotiation and meeting our common challenges through cooperation.

We pursue a national defense policy that is of a defensive nature, carry out military exchange with foreign countries, increase our military transparency and have taken an active part in international security cooperation including counter-terrorism, nonproliferation and UN peacekeeping operations. The day before yesterday, I was told by Xiong Guangkai, President of the Chinese Institute of Strategic Studies, that over the years, China has contributed more than 5,000 peacekeepers to 14 UN peacekeeping operations. That is a fairly high number among the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council.

During his state visit to Liberia, President Hu Jintao called a meeting with Chinese peacekeepers in Liberia. We have about 600 peacekeepers in that country. All of them are in high spirits. They are courageous and also good friends with the local people. Besides discharging their responsibilities and obligations under relevant UN resolutions, those Chinese peacekeepers have also assisted the local people in some poverty-relief programs and are always well received by the locals. Some Chinese peacekeepers sacrificed their young lives on their posts. They sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace. They led a noble life and their loss of life is also for a noble course.

Hope to See Peace in Iraq and Middle East

Al-Jazeera: The international community and the UN are very familiar terms in our life, but in my view, there is only one country in today's world that dictates international affairs and the international situation, because otherwise how can we explain such a situation in which a superpower—the US I mean, was able to invade a sovereign state—Iraq I refer to, and the international community and the UN has failed so far to give a reasonable response to this action. How can we explain, that when a sovereign country is trying to pursue peaceful use of nuclear energy, it has been criticized by relevant countries. But when a country, by which I mean Israel, is developing nuclear weapons, the international community turns a blind eye to this development. Isn't this an employment of double standards? Are the international community and the UN under these two scenarios and situations different from those that you talked about? Can you explain to us China's position on all those key issues in the Middle East including the Iranian nuclear issue, the issue of Iraq and conflicts between Palestine and Israel? What role do you think China can play in resolving these issues so as to balance this lopsided international order of double standards?

Li: I can't recall anyone saying that we have a perfect international political and economic order. Your questions show us the picture of a complicated international community full of challenges and even different standards. For us the task is to make every effort to meet the common aspirations of the people of the world, to carry out dialogue and negotiation and use other diplomatic means to reduce and resolve these differences and disputes and broaden our common ground so that this world will be turned into a more reasonable and democratic place and we will be able to bring more benefits to the people.

We need to face such realities with a cool head. Every coin has two sides. While we are making progress we also need to keep in mind the difficulties and challenges ahead. At the same time we see progress in political multi-polarization and economic globalization. But in the meantime we also see that some places and regions in today's world are not stable and face the potential danger of conflicts and even local wars. The economic order in today's world is also not so reasonable. The South-North gap is widening. Neither is the cultural order very reasonable. Some countries have their fine culture, but other countries know little about it. We need to make joint efforts to find gradual solutions to these problems.

Everybody is talking about how important human rights are, but the situation regarding human rights is also far from reasonable. The first and foremost human right is the right to subsistence. But in today's world, it varies from country to country when we touch upon the issue of life expectancy. According to relevant statistics last year, the longest life expectancy is 82 years old and the shortest only 36. If we want to attain a world in which all men are created equal, at least we will be able to enjoy more or less the same life expectancy. But it seems to me that even this goal is somewhat a distant prospect.

More than a thousand years ago China had a famous poet called Du Fu. He once made the following remark, "Behind the vermilion gates of the rich, meat and wine are left to rot, while out on the road lie the bones of the poor who have frozen to death." In today's world I believe that to some extent this kind of sad scene still exists. Our purpose is to build a harmonious world enjoying peace, stability and common development. This goal is clear and definite and our resolve is staunch and f irm. We need to be well prepared for making long-term efforts to attain this goal.

Talking about the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, in the first place I believe we need to protect our environment. More than 30 years ago a famous female American environmentalist said that poverty is the most serious source of environmental pollution. Why I remember the remark of this lady scholar is because, when I was as young as some of you are present today, I had the honor of being a member on the Chinese delegation working with delegations of other countries in establishing the UNEP—the UN Environment Program, which is the first international organization for the protection of environment established in Kenya. I was particularly inspired by what the lady scholar said at that time and that book she wrote is entitled Only One Earth.

China enjoys traditional friendship with Arab countries. China supports the people of these countries in restoring their lawful rights and interests. Mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Arab nations has also been growing fast. In 2006, the trade volume between China and the 22 member states of the Arab League reached US$ 65.5 billion. China is both a big energy consumer and a big energy producer. It has conducted mutually beneficial energy cooperation with these countries. Last year, China's import of crude oil from the Middle East accounted for 6 percent of the traded crude oil in that part of the world.

In regards to the issues of the Middle East, we believe that it is imperative for both Palestine and Israel to stay focused on the fundamental interests of the people in this region, the larger interests in maintaining regional peace and stability, and to carry out political negotiations to resolve their disputes based on the relevant UN resolutions and the principle of "Land for Peace" so as to achieve peaceful co-existence at an early date between the two states and two peoples.

As regards the issue of Iraq, I learned from foreign reports this morning that by yesterday the fatalities of US soldiers in Iraq already reached 3,116. These are all human lives and very young lives. That's why we hope that we will see peace in Iraq and the Middle East region at an early date. We welcome the efforts made by the Iraqi Government in stabilizing the situation of security, advancing ethnic reconciliation and carrying out reconstruction in Iraq. In this process, people also expect the United Nations to play an important role. China will continue to provide assistance for Iraqi reconstruction to the best of its ability.

China, India to Find Proper Solution to Boundary Issue

Indian newspaper The Hind: Foreign Minister, having just returned from India a few weeks ago, you underscored that the bilateral relationship between India and China has in resent years been sharply improving. However, we do continue to have an extremely important border dispute that is dragging on. My question is, in China's opinion, what is the biggest remaining stumbling block for resolving this border issue and in what time frame do you think this issue can be resolved. Furthermore, there is a lot of talk about Chindia, that is, a concept India and China coming together to form some kind of formidable economic and political block. Do you think that until we resolve this border issue there can be any reality at all to this idea of Chindia?

Li: I feel particularly happy to have the opportunity to share how happy I was during my visit to your country with you and with all journalists present here today. I went to a place that is the dream of every pupil in China to visit. The place where Husan-Tsang, an eminent Tang Dynasty Chinese Monk went to, that is Nalanda in India. I stayed one day and one night there and I was extremely happy there. It looked like I was back to my primary school years as a very hard working student.

In Hindu, the word "Nanlan" is for a lotus flower that represents knowledge, while "da" means to give, Nalanda means "a place to give knowledge." In China's history, this eminent Monk from Henan Province left Chang An, then Capital of China, and went through many twists and turns in the road to come to that beautiful place of Nalanda. He served as a student and also worked as a teacher in that city for 12 years. He was a bridge between the people of the two peoples and helped nurture the strong and deep friendship between the two sides.

As early as the 1950s, the first Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and the first Indian Prime Minister Nehru already made the decision that the Memorial Hall in Commemoration of this eminent Monk from the Tang Dynasty, Husan-Tsang, would be built in that place. I went to India to attend the completion ceremony for the renovation of the memorial hall. That was a grand festival for people of the two countries. It was followed by inauguration ceremony of "The Year of Tourism and Friendship" between China and India. I believe during this year there will be a significant increase in tourism between our two countries.

In regards to the boundary issue between China and India, that was something imposed upon the Chinese people and the Indian people when they were not masters of their own countries; it was imposed on us by the Western colonialists. I believe the two peoples, having won their struggles for national independence and liberation, have every wisdom and capability of finding a proper solution to the issue left over by history. The envoys appointed by the Chinese Premier and the Indian Prime Minister have already held nine meetings and reached agreement on political guiding principles for resolving the boundary issue. They also held useful discussions on the framework to settle this issue. The China-India border areas have remained peaceful and stable. Guided by the China-India Joint Declaration, the strategic partnership of the two countries has been moving forward on all sides, creating a favorable condition for the final settlement of the boundary issue. As long as the two sides bear in mind the overall situation of our China-India friendship and act in the spirit of peace and friendship, consultation on equal footing, mutual respect and understanding, we will be able to find a proper solution to this issue acceptable to both countries.

Contribute to Solve Climate Change

Swedish TV: Global warming is getting more severe. How much has China affected the current situation and what is the country's responsibility for improving the situation?

Li: Global warming is an issue of common concern of people of all countries. I remember during my visit to your country that what attracted me most was the nighttime in Sweden. I was particularly impressed by how crowded the stars in the sky above Sweden were. It seems that the sky was overflowing with stars. I also believe that all countries have their own respective strengths; we need to draw upon each other's advantages and learn from each other.

The international community has formulated the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. These two documents established the fundamental principles for developed and developing countries in coping with climate change, including the fundamental principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. At present, China's per-capita carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use is less than one sixth that of some larger countries and China's emissions are partly caused by the relocation of international industries to China.

As one of the developing countries affected by climate change, China takes the issue very seriously. Let me share with you an example. In 1972 the First UN Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm, Sweden. Although China was going through the "cultural revolution" during that year, we were still able to send a delegation to the conference and we still have vivid memories of the contribution that Sweden has made to improve the human environment and we applaud your efforts.

I also remember that one of the members of the Chinese delegation to the Stockholm 1972 Conference years later served as Director of the State Administration for Environmental Protection and later worked in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Qu Geping. He also got an award from the United Nations for his efforts in protecting environment.

China follows the strategy of sustainable development. In our 11th Five-Year Plan on National Economic and Social Development, we set targets for controlling green house gases and reducing energy consumption per-unit GDP by 20 percent. These goals, if attained, will be China's contribution to resolving the issue of global climate change.

Understanding Difficulties of African Friends

Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore: We have all seen the tremendous achievements China has made in its diplomatic work in Africa. People also worry that China is practicing a "new colonialism" while developing relationships and exchanges with smaller countries as a big rising power. Does China have any new thinking on these concerns, and does the same thinking apply to the smaller countries in South East Asia?

Li: The first sentence of the UN Charter spells out two fundamental principles that are closely related to everybody's lives, the first one being equality between men and women, and the second being equality among all countries, big or small.

We know that we are the biggest developing country and face quite a few difficulties and challenges. That is why strengthening solidarity and cooperation between other developing countries is a fundamental part of all our diplomatic efforts.

We believe that treating one another as equals should not be diplomatic rhetoric. We should translate this into concrete action. That is what we are doing now. Before paying state visits to the eight African countries, President Hu Jintao instructed us to put ourselves in the shoes of our African friends, feel what their difficulties are, and carry out friendly consultation with them in order to help them generate the capability of achieving independent development and help them improve the well-being of their people through mutually beneficial cooperation. During his visits to African countries, Premier Wen Jiabao also reminded us that we need to carry forward the fine Chinese tradition of being kind-hearted to people. We must not forget, under whatever circumstances, what kind of help and good things other people have done for us, but we can forget what good things we have done to help others.

The warmest and most sincere welcome President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao received in those African countries they visited came from the people of these African countries themselves. Those people were waving to the Chinese leaders with sincerity, sweating in the sunlight. Although they had to withstand such harsh and hot weather, I saw the sincere smiles on faces of those people and it made me feel that they are more valuable and more sincere than any political rhetoric that a politician may make. I met a dozen African people who once suffered from malaria but were cured with anti-malaria medication with Chinese intellectual property rights. They told me "our lives were saved by our Chinese friends!" I believe they speak from their hearts.

China to Study Legislation on Consular Protection for Overseas Chinese

Xinhua News Agency: In 2006, Chinese citizens made 34 million visits abroad. As China continues to reform and open up, this figure is also expected to rise. At the same time, accidents involving Chinese citizens abroad are also increasing. What measures will the Chinese Consular Department and relevant agencies adopt to protect the lawful rights and interests as well as the life and property of Chinese citizens abroad and among the overseas Chinese community?

Li: At present, there are more than 4,800 staff members working in the Chinese Foreign Ministry and more than 240 overseas missions responsible for providing consular protection for the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens and corporations abroad, directly or indirectly.

The number of overseas Chinese is increasing sharply with China's development. According to the latest statistics, about 675,000 Chinese currently work overseas. There are about 40,000 people engaged in the oceanic fishing industry and about 150,000 working on foreign ships. More than 10,000 Chinese enterprises have established businesses in foreign countries. The number of Chinese tourists going overseas, to visit families and to study is also increasing every year. Currently, 132 out of more than 190 countries have been approved as tourism destinations for Chinese citizens.
In 2006, Chinese citizens paid 34.52 million visits abroad. According to estimates from the World Tourism Council, this figure will rise to 100 million by 2020.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, as well as its overseas embassies and consulates, have handled more than 30,000 consular cases of various kinds in the past year, including the killing of three Chinese company employees in a terrorist attack in Pakistan, the major traffic accident of a Hong Kong tourist group in Egypt and the kidnapping of Chinese engineers by militants in Nigeria on two occasions. China also evacuated overseas Chinese from the Solomon Islands, East Timor, Lebanon and Tonga.

In providing consular protection services, we will follow the policy of putting people first and doing diplomatic work in the interests of the people. Our specific measures include the following. First, we will bring into full play the role of inter-agency coordination mechanisms led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed at protecting safety and security of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions. Second, we will deepen our preventive consular protection efforts. Third, we will further disseminate information and knowledge about consular protection to the general public. Fourth, we will publish a guide on overseas consular protection and services in order to provide timely consular services. Fifth, in event of serious cases, the ministry will make immediate representation and send special representatives or taskforces to the spot to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens. And last but not least, we will listen to the motions and proposals from NPC deputies and CPPCC members to study legislation on better consular protection services for overseas Chinese in order to standardize our efforts on this front.

(China.org.cn)