China-Brunei ties on new high

THIS is the full transcript of the written interview of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi with The Brunei Times:

Question: Your Excellency, what do you aim to achieve during your visit to Brunei?

Answer: China and Brunei are close and friendly neighbours. Our bilateral relations have enjoyed fast and fruitful growth since the establishment of diplomatic relations, marked by enhanced political mutual trust, broadened cooperation in diverse areas and close consultation on international and regional affairs.

Visiting Brunei at a time when China-Brunei relations are experiencing all-round growth and with a promising future, I hope to deepen the mutual trust and friendship between the two peoples, expand our mutually beneficial cooperation and elevate China-Brunei relationship to a new high.

The China-Asean trade reached US$200 billion three years ahead of schedule. Will zero tariff trade within 10+1 be realised in advance?

Smooth progress has been made in building China-Asean free trade area since 2002. We have signed and implemented the 'Agreement on Trade in Goods and the Agreement on Trade in Services', and are negotiating an agreement on investment.

China attaches great importance to building China-Asean free trade area and the negotiation on the agreement on investment. China will work with Asean for the early completion of the free trade area to expand common interests, enrich their strategic partnership and promote win-win and common development at a higher level.

China and Asean countries signed the 'Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea' in November 2002, but disputes over the Nansha Islands have not stopped. Vietnam recently protested over the landing of Taiwan's military aircraft on the Taiping Island. What is your comment?

China holds indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters. China seeks a peaceful settlement of the disputes over the South China Sea through bilateral consultation with countries concerned in accordance with the universally recognised international law and the contemporary law of the sea, including the fundamental principles and legal regimes established in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Pending such a settlement, we should shelve disputes and seek joint development.

The South China Sea now enjoys general stability. The 'Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea' (DOC) has played a welcome role in upholding stability in the region and enhancing mutual trust between China and the Asean countries. China will enhance dialogue and cooperation with the relevant countries, ensure that DOC is fully implemented, advance practical cooperation in the South China Sea and uphold peace and stability in the region. Our goal is to turn the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation between China and the Asean countries.

How important is energy in China's foreign policy?

As economic globalisation gathers momentum, China is increasingly integrated with the world in energy development. China's energy development has not only ensured its own economic and social development, but also presented enormous opportunities of development for other countries.

China is actively involved in global energy cooperation. It calls for adopting a new thinking on energy security featuring mutually-beneficial cooperation, diversified development and coordinated safeguards. It endeavours to expand common interests and broaden area of cooperation in the energy field, and will continue to promote the sustainable global energy development through its own sustainable energy development.

What is your comment on KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou's policy of "no unification, no independence and no use of force," regarding cross-Straits relations? What is your view on the Taiwan authorities' push for a "referendum on joining the United Nations under the name Taiwan?"

The Taiwan issue is crucial to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and represents China's core interests. It is a deeply emotional issue for the 1.3 billion Chinese people. We have always called for holding cross-Straits dialogue and negotiation on the basis of the one-China principle. We are ready to talk to and negotiate with any party in Taiwan so long as it recognises that both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same China, and we are ready to discuss anything. We have made the solemn call to, on the basis of the one-China principle, discuss a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides, reach a peace agreement, build a framework for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and promote their peaceful growth.

However, in disregard of the Taiwan people's longing for peace across the Taiwan Straits and the strong opposition of the international community, the Chen Shui-bian authorities are bent on pushing for a "referendum on joining the United Nations under the name Taiwan". The "referendum" is a major step taken by them to change the reality that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China and push Taiwan towards "de jure independence". It is a referendum for "Taiwan independence" in disguise, which is aimed at creating conditions for pursuing "Taiwan independence through constitutional development" internally and seeking international recognition externally. We have expressed our firm opposition to this move. Any issue involving China's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be decided by all the Chinese people, including our Taiwan compatriots.

We hope that the international community will continue to explicitly oppose "Taiwan independence" and the attempt of the Chen Shui-bian authorities to hold the "referendum", support China's great cause of peaceful reunification.

We call on the international community to support the Chinese people in taking just steps to oppose and forestall "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity and work with China to uphold peace and stability in both the Taiwan Straits and the Asia Pacific region.

The Brunei Times