FE/0646 i
22 Dec 89
AKD 340/18. THE FAR EAST
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
16 JAN 1990
Reaction to the US DickouFFICElanamą REAs Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesmen said orp, 0th December that the US "military invasion of Panama “Violate; the norms of international law and the ams and purposes of the UN Charter", Xinhua reported. He added: "We were shocked and condemn this act.” The USA should “immediately stop" its action "to prevent a deterioration of the situation", he said.*
Hanoi radio reported that a Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman on 21st December had condemned the US action as a "serious violation" of the UN Charter and elementary principles of international law.
Pyongyang radio broadcast a statement by the North Korean Foreign Ministry which denounced ths US action as "an open act of aggression aimed at overthrowing a legitimate government of a sovereign state”.**
New Delhi radio reported on 21st December that I.K. Gujral, the Indian External Affairs Minister, had made a statement deploring the US intervention and expressing the hope that the US forces would be withdrawn quickly.
Antara reported that the Indonesian Foreign Ministry had issued a statement on 21st December which expressed "concern" and "regrets" over the US military action.
Rangoon radio on 21st December reported Soviet criticism of the US action, and said: "The action by the USA is a violation of the UN Charter and the norms of international
relations."
Kyodo reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Nakayama on 21st December made a statement which stated: "The Japanese government, while regretting that the situation has arisen where the United States used its armed forces in Panama, resulting in many casualties, understands the background against which it had to take military actions to protect its nationals.”
China reserves right to comment further on passport plan for Hongkong China is still studying the British government's plan to grant 50,000 families in Hongkong Brit passports and reserves the right to make further ent, a Chinese Foreign Minister spokesman told a el news briefing in Peking on 21st December, Xinhua 1pc.ed.
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Xinhua office in Hongkong refuses to comment on passport plan The announcement by Britain on granting passports to Hongkong citizens was a matter between the governments of the two places and the Xinhua Hongkong branch would not comment on that, a Xinhua spokesman said in Hongkong on 21st December, Xinhua reported.
Hongkong paper on "confidence crisis" caused by passport plan Hongkong's 'Wen Wei Po' commented on 21st December that the limited number of full British passports offered to Hongkong citizens "will surely not help to re-establish confidence and stability as Britain has declared, but will only split the Hongkong people, increase their mutual suspicion and bring about a confidence crisis".
The scheme does not take into effect the long-term interests of Hongkong. By creating two kinds of people with two futures and two interests, Hongkong will no longer be able to beat with one heart, the paper said.**
China says Romania "can properly handle its own affair" “We believe that Romania can properly handle its own affair,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a weekly news briefing on 21st December, according to Xinhua. "China never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries," he added.
Leading Chinese official calls for improved relations with France Qiao Shi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, at a meeting in Peking on 20th December with Gerard Le Gall, National Secretary of the French Socialist Party, "called for efforts by both China and France to improve relations", Xinhua reported.**
China welcomes US approval of satellite export (FE/0645 i) Jin Guihua, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said at a weekly news briefing on 21st December that the approval by President Bush of the export to China of three US telecommunications satellites and his authorisation to the US Export-Import Bank to resume export credits to China were "positive steps helpful to the normalisation of Sino-US relations", Xinhua reported. "We welcome this," Jin said.
He also confirmed that China had received Brent Scowcroft, President Bush's special envoy, in July “at the request of the US side”, the agency reported.
Vietnam urges China not to "complicate the situation" with Spratlys air base A Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman, asked at a regular press conference on 21st December about reports that China was building an air base in the Truong Sa (Spratly archipelago), said, according to Hanoi radio, that this move was a violation of Vietnam's territorial integrity. "Pending negotiations on a settlement, the parties concerned should not do anything to complicate the situation further," he said, according to the radio.**
Indian government wins vote of confidence The V.P. Singh government won a vote of confidence on 21st December, New Delhi radio reported. Congress (I) members abstained from the voting.
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For details see Sections ** Details to be published later