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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao expressed “concern” over the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese had earlier expressed verbally that “they were unhappy with the visit” of Dr. Singh.
Reacting to the US Justice Department revelations that four people were arrested on charges of spying for China in two separate cases, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu rejected the charges as “groundless” and made “with ulterior motives.” He urged the US to abandon its ‘Cold War thinking1.’
Meanwhile, ahead of the 2008 Olympics, China has continued its efforts to develop the infrastructural facilities in the sensitive Xinjiang region. As per information given by the Xinjiang People Broadcasting Station, three railways worth 4.25 billion yuan would be constructed in the region by the beginning of the spring season. These included the Kuitun-Beitun project, the Turpan-Korla expansion project, and the Wuxi-Jinghe second line project2.
Xinhua reported that China and Russia have submitted a joint-proposal for an international treaty to ban the deployment of weapons in outer space. The draft treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of
Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) was presented at a plenary session of the Conference on Disarmament, the world’s only multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations3.
- 1. “China says U.S. spying charges ‘groundless’,” People’s Daily, February 15, 2008, at http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6354424.html
- 2. “Central government has ratified three railway projects in Xinjiang”, People’s Daily, February 13, 2008, at http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6353760.html
- 3. “China, Russia present joint initiative on space arms race control”, People’s Daily, February 13, 2008, at http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6353226.html