• China and Russia sign additional protocol on eastern border; Chinese Foreign Ministry: Six-Party talks were of “historic meaning,”; Beijing criticizes US House of Representatives resolution on human rights issue
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  • China and Russia signed an additional protocol on the eastern part of the border marking the completion of the survey of the entire 4,300-km long border. The protocol was signed between Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov. Reports also noted that Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister would visit China on July 26-27 to discuss the launch of an energy resources mechanism which would map out the cooperative methods and determine the scope for energy cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that the launch of the mechanism would add vitality to the Sino-Russian strategic partnership1.

    On developments relating to Tibet, Prof. Sherap Nyima, head of the Chinese Tibetan delegation on a visit to Australia stated that there would not be any change in China’s Tibet policy in the aftermath of the March 14 protests. Prof. Nyima, who is also the Vice-President of the Central Universities of Nationalities of China, reiterated that Tibet would see peace and prosperity in the coming times and pointed out that the Chinese government was providing 170 billion yuan during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) to improve the social conditions and infrastructure of Tibet2.

    Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao meanwhile noted that the informal meeting of foreign ministers of the six parties on the North Korean nuclear issue was of “historic meaning” and stated that it would contribute greatly to the denuclearization process. Foreign Ministers of DPRK, Republic of Korea, Russia, Japan, and China had met along with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Singapore in the previous week on the sideline of the ASEAN meeting3.

    In response to a resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives criticizing the role of the Chinese government on human rights and freedom, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on the legal experts in the US to stop manipulating the spirit of the Olympics by using the sensitive human rights issue. Liu termed the resolution “a groundless accusation … against the Olympics spirit but also against the wishes of people and athletes all around the world, including the United States4.”

    People’s Daily, citing the statistics of the Chinese Commerce Ministry, reported that trade between China and Taiwan reached $68.01 billion in the first half of 2008. While the exports from mainland China to Taiwan were $13.08 billion (an increase of 18.9 per cent), imports from Taiwan reached $54.93 billion, registering a 24 per cent growth. Taiwan was currently the seventh largest trade partner of China, the ninth largest export market for the Chinese mainland and the fifth largest source of imports for China5.

    In other developments, the 11th Strategic Defence Consultation between China and Australia took place in the previous week in Beijing. Both sides exchanged views on international and regional security issues. The Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Chen Bingde chaired the meeting6.

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