At the invitation of Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei, officials from the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Germany are due to meet on April 16 in Shanghai to discuss a plan to restart negotiations on Iran's nuclear issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

China always supports the peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation, Jiang told the press conference, calling on the involving parties to show their creativity, flexibility in an effort to find appropriate ways for a "comprehensive and long-lasting settlement" of the nuclear issue.

The 15-member United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1803 on March 3, which included travel restrictions and bans for more Iranians, an expansion of asset freezes, curbs on dual-use nuclear items, export credit, financial monitoring, cargo inspections on aircraft and vessels, and possible "next steps."

The foreign ministers of the six countries issued a statement after the vote, saying that Resolution 1803 reflected "the international community's serious concerns about the proliferation risks of the Iranian nuclear program."

"We remain committed to an early negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and reaffirm our commitment to a dual-track approach," the statement said. "We remain ready to negotiate future arrangements, modalities and timing ... once the conditions for negotiations have been established."

"The meeting is aimed at further carrying out the consensus reached in statement by the six foreign ministers", Jiang added.

Tibet's development 'better than ever'

Jiang introduced policies adopted by the central government on Tibet, saying the autonomous region's development was "better than ever".

The central government practices a regional ethnic autonomy system in Tibet, and guarantees the democratic rights of Tibetans. As an ethnic minority, Tibetans also enjoy preferential treatment in laws and policies, Jiang said.

She said the government also exercised a preferential policy of mobilizing the whole nation to help the development of Tibet. The central and local governments and institutions at all levels have given great financial, material and personnel support to Tibet.

The gross local production maintains a consecutive growth rate of over 12 percent for many years with the per capita GNP amounting to 12,000 yuan (1,714 U.S. dollars), higher than the average national level, Jiang said.

The central government has not collected tax from Tibet for years, yet each year it invested billions of yuan in the construction and development of Tibet.

With regard to the religious freedom enjoyed by Tibetans, Jiang said freedom of religious belief is respected by the government and protected under the law. All regular religious activities are practiced in a normal way.

Moreover, the central government attaches great importance to preserving and growing the Tibetan culture.

Tibetan Buddhism has been well protected in China, said Jiang. The central government has invested huge funds in the preservation and maintenance of monasteries and religious sites, including the Potala Palace and other temples. It had also set up more than 50 institutes on Tibetan studies nationwide.

The central government had also made efforts on the collection and publication of Tibetan Buddhism classics, including the Tibetan Tripitaka.

Concerning the Tibetan language, Jiang said both Tibetan and Chinese were taught and used in Tibet, with the Tibetan language the primary language.

The Tibetan language had become the first language used by an ethnic minority group in China for which an international standard had been set up, she added.

"A lot of facts show the social, economic and cultural development in Tibet is better than ever," Jiang said. "A small number of rioters and saboteurs could never represent the Tibetan people, nor the people all over China."

Dalai's brag about 'peace', 'non-violence' is lie

China criticized that the Dalai Lama has proved with his own acts that his brag for "peace" and "non-violence" is nothing but lie.

Jiang made the remarks when asked to comment on the Dalai Lama's claim in his recent statement that he sticks to his "middle way" approach and does not seek for "Tibet independence".

Jiang said the Dalai Lama is the head representative of the serf system which integrates religion with politics in old Tibet.

Such serf system, which harbors no democracy, freedom and human rights in any form, is the darkest slavery system in human history, Jiang said, adding that only the serf owners could enjoy special privileges under such a system.

The "middle way" approach that the Dalai Lama is pursuing for is aimed at restoring his own "paradise in the past", which will throw millions of liberated serf back into a dark cage, Jiang said.

"Such a 'middle way', who can accept it?" said Jiang.

On the Dalai Lama's claim that he is unconnected with the riots in Lhasa, Jiang said "Dalai has always been dependent on telling lies", noting that it does not matter much about what he said, only what he did.

One thing that the Dalai Lama has done recently is to instigate and orchestrate the violence in Lhasa, Jiang said.

The Dalai Lama's own acts have proved "peace" and "non-violence" are all lies to cheat people, Jiang said.

Jiang also added that the central government's policy toward the Dalai Lama is consistent and the central government has been patiently keeping contact with the Dalai Lama side.

"Our door to conduct dialogue with the Dalai Lama was open in the past and is still open now", Jiang said.

Only if the Dalai Lama changed his mind, stopped separatist activities, violence and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games, "we are still willing to contact and consult with him", Jiang said.

Positive results expected from N Korea-US talks

China said it hoped talks in Singapore between North Korea and the United States over denuclearization would achieve positive results.

Jiang said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei would meet U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill on Wednesday in Beijing to discuss the results of talks.

Meanwhile, top negotiators from South Korea and Japan would also join in the discussion, she said.

Jiang said China had always supported all parties in their efforts to enhance communication and consultation on the six-party talks and jointly push forward the negotiations as well as the Korean Peninsular denuclearization.

"I believe each party would make full use of the opportunity to exchange in-depth views on the current situation of the six-party talks and following the work plans," she said.

Hill and his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan held talks in Singapore on Tuesday to discuss ways of resolving the disarmament impasse on the Korean Peninsula.

Under an agreement reached in October during the six-party talks on the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea agreed to declare all its nuclear programs by the end of 2007, while the United States and other parties would provide economic, energy and humanitarian assistance to the country.

However, North Korea missed the deadline, despite reported progress in its nuclear disablement and declaration.

(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2008)