RP, China reaffirm support for anti-terrorism campaign

The Philippines and China affirmed yesterday their support for the global campaign against terrorism.

The affirmation, expressed in a joint statement by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and visiting Chairman Li Peng of the Chinese National People’s Congress, came a day after the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attack on the United States.

The two countries, however, urged the United States last night to go through the processes of the United Nations before moving to punish Iraq for its refusal to let in UN-sponsored weapons inspectors.

Li and De Venecia said their countries were reiterating their "staunch support for the international campaign against terrorism, and praised the collective efforts that both the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Asean have taken in this regard."

But Li said China rejects any unilateral move on the part of the US and that any action against Iraq "should be under UN leadership."

The US should go through the "necessary processes of the UN," he said, in reaction to reports that US President George W. Bush was urging the UN to force Iraq to accept arms inspectors.

De Venecia, for his part, said he shares his guest’s call on the US to go through the UN in moving against Iraq.

The SCO is an anti-terrorism alliance of six countries in central Asia that includes China and Russia.

In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have formed a similar alliance.

Li said his government understands and supports the campaign the Philippines is waging against terrorism and is willing to cooperate "in counter-terrorism and other non-traditional security fields."

The two countries also made a commitment to "a peaceful and amicable settlement" of their dispute over the Spratly islands in the South China Sea, which are also being claimed in whole or in part by Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has built concrete fortifications in one island which Philippine officials claim are for military purposes. The Chinese claim they are shelters for their fishermen.

But just as Li, China’s parliamentary chief, flew into Manila Thursday the Philippine Navy reported the arrest of 38 Chinese fishermen intruding into Philippine waters.

The poachers were arrested aboard two fishing boats near Palawan, in the country’s southwest and lying east of the disputed Spratlys. About 120 other Chinese fishermen are detained for intruding into Philippine territory.

Li and De Venecia agreed that the development of a "stable and lasting relationship of good neighborliness, mutual trust, and mutual benefit and cooperation between China and the Philippines serves not only the fundamental interests of the two countries but also contributes to regional peace, prosperity and development."

The two sides pledged to quickly identify projects to be funded by the Chinese government’s $100 million agricultural loan.

De Venecia thanked his guest for the loan and for China’s "continued attention to the welfare of the 140,000 Filipino contract workers in Hong Kong."

He also welcomed China’s participation in the building of railways, airports, seaports, and other infrastructure projects here.

"This is a very important visit," De Venecia told reporters as the two officials met with the media after having wide-ranging discussions on regional and international issues.

De Venecia said China and Asean should not compete with each other and should in fact work for an economic and political integration.

Li met later with Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Flavier.

The visiting Chinese official will meet with President Arroyo today at Malacañang, where she is to roll out the red carpet for Li.

Li is expected to discuss with Mrs. Arroyo Chinese interest in a railway project in North Luzon.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye disclosed yesterday Mrs. Arroyo intends to take up with Li China’s interest to participate in the construction of the North Railway project being pushed by De Venecia in order to revive the Manila-La Union railway system.

The old commuter and cargo railway system managed by the Philippine National Railways is badly in need of modernization, De Venecia said.

Bunye also said the President intends to talk with Li about how the Philippine government has so far used the $100 million soft loan granted by China for the agricultural modernization program of her administration, in particular the propagation of high-yield hybrid rice.

The $100 million soft loan, he cited, was the result of Mrs. Arroyo’s visit to Beijing last year when she met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

"And part of this (loan) would be used to finance the construction of the fish port in General Santos City and in Cotabato City," Bunye said. "And we have many very good projects as fruits of our relations with the People’s Republic of China."

The memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed tonight: loan agreement for the General Santos City Fishport Expansion project; MOU between the state-run North Railways Corp. and its Chinese partner company; and, the agreement on Chinese donation of 55 sets of water pumps.

Manila is the third stop for Li, a former premier and now number two in China’s Communist Party, on an Asian tour which has taken him to Bangkok and Jakarta.

Li is accompanied by his wife Zhu Lin; He Chunlin, secretary general of the National People’s Congress (NPC) standing committee; Gan Ziyu, chairman of the NPC overseas Chinese affairs committee; Zhou Keyu, vice chairman of the NPC law committee; Zhang Dinghua, vice chairman of the NPC committee for internal and judicial affairs; and Jiang Zhuping, vice chairman of the NPC education, science, culture, and health committee.

The Chinese visitors are leaving tomorrow for their next stop, Australia. –With Marichu Villanueva