BBC Monitoring Quotes From China, Taiwan Press 5 Mar 07

The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and commentaries carried in 4-5 March 2007 website editions of mainland Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwan newspapers available to BBC Monitoring. Unless otherwise stated, the quotes are in Chinese. The figure in brackets after the quote indicates the date of publication on the website

Iraq

Beijing’s China Daily in English: www.chinadaily.com.cn “…The international community needs to make efforts to restore peace and stability in Iraq. The support of Iraq’s neighbours is vital… Although the possibility of bilateral talks between the US and Syria or Iran has not been announced, the US seems to be adjusting its policies on the two countries. Inviting Syria and Iran to the Iraq talks [in Baghdad on 10 March] may help Iraq to find the desperately needed path to peace and stability.” (Commentary) (5)

“Six-party talks gradually enter positive cycle”

Hong Kong’s Ta Kung Pao (Beijing-backed daily): www.takungpao.com “…North Korea and the United States have adopted a more realistic and more flexible stance… North Korea and the United States made the right choice and showed a certain degree of courage in reaching the ’13 February joint statement’, and the result was that no-one lost face… This is not to say that it will be smooth sailing in the North Korean nuclear issue from now on, but since the ice has been broken, a navigation path can be opened up in future.” (Tao Wenzhao, researcher, Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) (5)

Taiwan

Beijing’s Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily, Chinese Communist Party newspaper) overseas edition: www.people.com.cn “On 1 March, the US Department of Defence announced that it will sell 453 advanced missiles and related equipment to Taiwan… US arms sales to Taiwan go against the US government’s promise to adhere to a one-China policy. The US government should recognize the serious harm of US arms sales to Taiwan on Sino-US relations and the common interests of China and the United States, and rationally handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan from a strategic height.” (Wang Xinjun, researcher, Strategic Research Department, Chinese Academy of Military Sciences) (5)

Sino-Japanese relations

Beijing’s Huanqiu Shibao (Global Times) dated 2 March; carried by Renmin Wang website on 5 March: www.people.com.cn “…In the next five years, there will be a trend of improvement in Sino-Japanese relations, but potential conflicts will increase… First, if Japanese Prime Minister Abe still retains power after the legislative elections this July and does not visit the Yasukuni Shrine, Sino-Japanese relations will improve during Abe’s term. Second, as long as Japan does not clearly give up its policy of helping to defend Taiwan, China and Japan will not become true strategic partners. Third, political and security relations between China and Japan will have a negative impact on regional security, but this will not intensify into a bilateral military conflict…” (Yan Xuetong, director, Institute of International Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing) (5)

“Make great strides on path of scientific development”

Renmin Ribao: “…The fifth session of the 10th National People’s Congress [NPC] is a major event in China’s political life, mobilizing the whole party to do a good job in the work of reform, development and stability this year, and it is of great significance for promoting the process of building a moderately well-off society and accelerating the building of a socialist harmonious society… We firmly believe that after the careful deliberations of all the deputies, the property rights law and corporate income tax law that have been formulated will better represent the interests of the people, reflect the people’s will and withstand the test of history…” (Editorial) (5)

“Speed cannot be sought blindly in development”

Renmin Ribao: “…The blind quest for rapid development in some places has not only consumed a lot of resources, it has also polluted the environment… We can perhaps allow such places to have a slow GDP growth, and we should promote their efforts to protect natural resources and the environment, carry out more social and cultural undertakings and promote the work of social harmony. Speed is definitely not everything in development…” (Chen Jiaxing) (5)

Beijing’s Jiefangjun Bao (Liberation Army Daily): www.chinamil.com.cn “…We must continue to strengthen and improve macro-economic control, focus on the adjustment of the economic structure and change the mode of growth, in order to enhance the conservation of resources and environmental protection, strive to promote reform and opening up and independent innovation, focus on the promotion of social development and livelihood issues, and effectively push economic and social development onto the track of scientific development, in order to achieve good and fast economic and social development…” (Editorial) (5)

“Transparency will help keep the peace”

Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post in English: www.scmp.com “…While Beijing repeatedly stresses that its intentions are peaceful and its military is solely for defence, it is far from transparent when it comes to revealing how its defence budget is allocated… The more China’s military spending is hidden from scrutiny, the more mistrust and misunderstanding is created with the US and its allies. While such a situation continues, there will be no peace, only the danger of an arms race and insecurity. On military matters, it is therefore essential that the central government strives for transparency.” (Editorial) (5)

“Press access welcome”

China Daily in English: “…Better knowledge about the functioning of our political machinery is indispensable for our citizens as well as outsiders. Better access for the foreign press is an important move in this direction. The authorities will see their courage and consideration pay off.” (Commentary) (5)

Beijing’s Zhongguo Qingnian Bao (China Youth Daily, newspaper sponsored by Chinese Communist Party Communist Youth League): zqb.cyol.com “…We see that the two sessions [of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and NPC] are moving further towards efficiency, pragmatism and openness… The NPC deputies and CPPCC members in the Great Hall of the People are no longer ministers, provincial governors, experts or scholars. They have only one common identity: spokesmen of the people… This new innovative spirit requires NPC deputies and CPPCC members to participate in a new style: less bureaucratic jargon and bragging, more truth and substantive views; less high-sounding talk and more pragmatism; less irrelevance and more hitting the nail on the head; and less personal views and more concern for public interests…” (Feng Xuemei) (5)

“Opening up of political arena is a basic guarantee of democratic progress”

Hebei’s Yanzhao Dushi Bao (Yanzhao Metropolis Daily): www.yzdsb.com.cn “…More transparency and opening up should become the norm in political life in China, and it should become a model for governments at all levels to learn from… There is still far from enough transparency in the operation of administrative power in some places. The democratic rights of citizens and public oversight have basically not yet been implemented, and this has reached an extent where the problems of one-man rule and corrupt authorities exist everywhere… There is still a long, long way to go before there is more transparency and opening up at the local level. One cannot be optimistic…” (Liu Xiaohui) (5)

“Give opportunities to migrant workers to participate more in government affairs”

Beijing’s Xin Jing Bao (The Beijing News): www.thebeijingnews.com “‘…The resolution of very many problems concerning the employment and lives of migrant workers is still far from ideal, and more hard work awaits us… The ultimate goal to resolving the problem of migrant workers is to break the system separating urban and rural areas, let migrant workers live in the cities, and let them become urban workers and enjoy the same rights as city dwellers… Currently, we are still lacking people’s representatives representing migrant workers at all levels in the legislature… This situation is not conducive to legislative work for the interests of migrant workers, and must be earnestly improved…” (Editorial) (5)

Welfare issues at two sessions

Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po (Beijing-backed daily): www.wenweipo.com “…A distinctive feature of the [NPC] meeting is expected to be the attention paid to public welfare and people-oriented [policies], which will have a positive and far-reaching impact on building harmony amid economic development and advancing the process of building a moderately well-off society…” (Editorial) (5)

Beijing’s Zhongguo Jingji Shibao (China Economic Times): www.cet.com.cn “…Seeing a doctor is difficult and expensive, going to school is difficult and expensive, and buying a house is difficult and expensive. These so-called three new mountains have become a universal social problem… The transformation of Chinese society has reached a crucial time… Our construction of a harmonious society should at least include a good and prosperous life for ordinary people…” (Ren Mengshan) (5)

Guangzhou’s Nanfang Dushi Bao (Southern Metropolitan News): www.nanfangdaily.com.cn “…Today’s livelihood issues can basically be summed up as the people being unable to share the fruits of reform. Incomplete and limited reforms have brought today’s livelihood problems… There is no other way to resolve livelihood problems except deepening reform and completing reform… This means the establishment of a mechanism to balance the interests of all parties, letting all interest groups have the ability to express themselves … as well as resolving social injustice, easing conflicts of interest and improving the living conditions of the people…” (Editorial) (4)

Sources: As listed

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Newsfile. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.