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opinion card”, and “international card", exerting pressure on China in a bid to obtain what they could not get from the negotiating table in the past. When it is viewed like this, people cannot but doubt whether these people from the British political circles have given up their dreams of turning Hongkong into an independent or semi-independent political entity under British influence after 1997.
The Chinese government has reiterated that it will strictly abide by the Sino-British Joint Declaration in line with the "one country, two systems" concept and its policies of reform and opening up. For the sake of Hongkong's prosperity and the long-term interests of both China and Britain, we hope that the British side will take a wise and realistic attitude, strictly follow the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and not do anything to damage relations between the two countries and to hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. Only by doing so can Sino-British relations return to normal, can the two countries resume and develop bilateral friendly relations on the basis of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and can Hongkong have a bright future.
OTHER REPORTS
Firearm smuggling ring broken in Taiwan, PRC suspected (FE/0613 A3/5 - Text) After three months of searching, police have cracked a firearms smuggling ring, arrested 27 suspects and confiscated 78 "Black Star" pistols and 393 bullets manufactured in communist China, police announced [on] Friday [17th November]. The National Police Administration (NPA) said that since the police launched the "Taching Operation", they had brought in the largest number of illegal firearms in recent smuggling history. NPA said, however, that 11 suspects were still at large and might be carrying or concealing as many as 200 illegal firearms. Searches will continue until the 11 suspects are arrested, NPA added. Investigators said the smuggling ring had hidden “a big haul of firearms" in civilian homes in Chuanchou [Zhuanzhou], Fukien [Fujian] Province opposite Taiwan. But because ring leader Tseng Ping-kun had been arrested, the firearms were still in Chuanchou, according to the police.
During the investigation, ROC police had asked Interpol to forward messages to mainland Chinese police authorities 13 times. In their messages, the ROC police asked their mainland counterparts to crack down on such major suspects as Yang Shuang-wu and Chen Yao-kuo, who were wanted for murder and smuggling in Taiwan. The mainland Chinese police, however, had not responded to the local police request, even though they were supplied with the locations of the hideouts used by the criminals wanted by the Taiwan police. An NPA officer said 54 “Black Star" pistols siezed in Tan-shui on 27th October were smuggled in from Hsiamen [Xiamen], Fukien Province. He said he suspected that mainland Chinese authorities were behind the smuggling because the pistols were not made by mainland criminal elements but by mainland weapons and ammunition factories. (CNA in English 0324 4 gmt 18 Nov 89)
Deaths in Guangxi allegedly caused by Taiwan device (Text) On the evening of 6th November, a major explosion occurred in the house of Tao Shiwen, a resident of
22 Nov 89
Chongmairui village, Liucheng county, Guangxi. Tao Jinai, a nine-year-old boy who lived next door to Tao's house and had come over to watch television, was killed when his arms were torn off and his chest was ripped open in the explosion. His five-year-old brother, Tao Laosi, died from a head injury. The host, Tao Shiwen his wife, and a two-and-a half-year old girl were injured in the explosion. Two other children, also neighbours, who were watching television, were also injured.
The explosion was caused by an explosive device 10 cm long and 4 cm in diameter. Earlier this year, Tao Jinai had picked up this explosive device from a Taiwan airdrop. He thought the device was a funny toy and did not give it to an adult. On the evening of 6th November, Tao Jinai took his younger brother to Tao Shiwen's house to watch television. While watching television, he played with the device and caused the explosion. (Zhongguo Tongxun She Hongkong, in Chinese 0302 gmt 21 Nov 89)
Mongolia
Inner
government chairmen in MPR (Text) Sodnom, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the MPR, received Bu He, chairman of China's Inner Mongolia autonomous regional government, and his party at the government office this morning [17th November]. At the meeting, Chairman Sodnom briefed the Chinese guests on the progress of the reform programme in Mongolia, and expressed his satisfaction with the development of Mongolian- Chinese relations. He also expressed the hope that Mongolian- Chinese co-operation in the economic, trade, scientific and technological fields will be speeded up further, as well as delight over the development of Sino-Soviet relations. Chairman Sodnom hosted a banquet in honour of Bu He and his party today.
Ochirbat, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Supply, and Gombosuren, Minister of Foreign Affairs, also met Bu He and his party on 13th and 14th November, respectively. (Xinhua in Chinese 1451 gmt 17 Nov 89)
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A. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
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new ale
1. GENERAL AND WESTERN AFFAIRS
21 Nov 89
internationalisation.
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CHINA LODGES “STRONG PROTEST” TO USA
OVER SANCTIONS
Xinhua in Chinese 0936 gmt 19 Nov 89
Text of report (FE/0618 i)
The Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister, Liu Huaqiu, summoned the US ambassador to China, James Lilley, today [19th November] to express great indignation at the adoption by the US Congress of an amendment to the US State Department authorisation bill on "sanctions" against China and to lodge a strong protest with the US government.
Liu Huaqiu pointed out: Since the Chinese government put down the counter-revolutionary rebellion in Peking in accordance with the Chinese Constitution and laws, the US Congress has again and again adopted bills on this purely internal issue of our country so as to have a hand in China's internal affairs and whip up an anti-China tide. In particular, today when the truth of the facts of quelling the rebellion in China has become known to all, the US Congress has still adopted a bill on sanctions against China on the basis of untrue reports and rumours, thereby seriously damaging [yan zhong sun hai 0917 6850 2275 1364] Sino-US relations and hurting the national feelings of the Chinese people. This fully reveals that some Congressmen still persist in the stand of world-condemned hegemony. By clinging to its own course so obstinately, where does the US Congress want to lead Sino- US relations, after all?
Liu Huaqiu stressed: With regard to questions concerning the defence of our state sovereignty, independence and dignity, China is absolutely firm and has never yielded to any external pressure. History has proved that no economic sanctions whatsoever can overwhelm the Chinese people. On the contrary, by doing so, the USA can only reap the bitter fruit sown by itself and harm its own interests.
Liu Huaqiu said: In country-to-country relations, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non- aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence are basic norms governing international relations. They are also the fundamental principles confirmed by both the Chinese and US sides in the Sino-US communiques for guiding relations between the two countries. The present difficulties facing Sino- US relations are entirely due to the repeated violations of the above-mentioned prinicples on the part of the US side. The bill adopted by the Congress on sanctions against China is another escalation of the action to worsen further the relations between the two countries. Obviously, the US government has an unshirkable responsibility for this. The US government has repeatedly expressed its willingness to restore and improve Sino-US relations, and we welcome this expression. But what is needed more is the US government's concrete action in this regard.
He added: We hope that the US government will proceed from the all-important issue of safeguarding Sino-US relations and the basic interests of the two peoples, and take effective measures to oppose unequivocally this bill adopted by the Congress. Otherwise, all grave consequences [yan zhong hou guo 0917 6850 0683 2654] arising from this can only be borne by the US government.
OTHER REPORTS
for
playing The 'Renmin
PRC newspapers criticise UK "international card" on Hongkong Ribao' overseas edition of 18th November carried an article first published in ‘Fazhi Ribao' on 13th November, entitled "No way out; On the attempt to internationalise' the Hongkong issue". Citing the Hongkong newspaper 'Sing Tao Jih Pao', the article said that the British government "had carefully calculated and plotted earlier before it played the 'internationalisation card' on the Hongkong issue". The article also said that "the ‘international card' played on the Hongkong issue is not an established policy of the British government”. It quoted the former British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, as saying that the UK "will continue to seek international support for Hongkong in the years ahead", and cited 'Sing Tao Jih Pao' of 22nd August to quote remarks made "more undisguisedly" by a British Foreign Office spokesman on international support for Hongkong. The article concluded that "attempts to ‘internationalise' the Hongkong issue run counter to the provisions and spirit of the Sino- British Joint Declaration as well as the standards of
international law”.
British representative of "non-government organisation" in Cambodia Comrade Chea Soth, member of the Party Central Committee Political Bureau and Vice-Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the State of Cambodia, on 15th November received Mr Fitzgerald, British representative of a non-government organisation, after he had spent two days studying and mapping out an economic development plan for the State of Cambodia. Fitzgerald said that after completing the study, his organisation would make every effort to develop and adjust Cambodia's economy in line with the international economic system. He also stressed that upon his return home, he would persuade British Prime Minister Mrs Thatcher to change her stance by condemning the genocidal Pol Pot regime and contributing to seeking a formula for an appropriate settlement of the Cambodian problem for the sake of peace and an end to the Cambodian people's misery. (Phnom Penh home service 1300 gmt 16 Nov 89)
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Vietnam welcomes Britain's attitude towards the Khmer Rouge At a press conference in Hanoi on 16th November, Ho The Lan, spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, said that Vietnam welcomed "the British government's clear-cut attitude of not supporting the Khmer Rouge in any case and its decision to send an official on a fact- finding trip to Cambodia”, VNA reported (in English 0726 gmt 17 Nov 89).
[Note: Section A1 was last published in FE/0615.]
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