Foreign missile umbrella on Taiwan opposed
By Sun Shangwu (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-09-02 05:34

The country is talking with Australia about co-operation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Earlier reports said the talks cover safeguards for the sale of Australian uranium to China.

China has signed bilateral agreements with a dozen of countries on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, according to Zhang, noting that such co-operation aims to serve China's increasing energy demand.

On the upcoming fourth round of the Six-Party Talks on the nuclear issues on Korean Peninsula, Zhang said that China is urging relevant parties to show flexibility so as to reach an agreement acceptable to all parties at an early date. Specific time for the new talks has not been decided yet, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday.

Zhang said that if the Democratic People's Republic of Korea joins the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, it should enjoy the right of peacefully developing nuclear energy.

China has played a constructive role in regional nuclear issues and made active efforts towards dialogue and reconciliation for the proper settlement of the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula and in Iran through political and diplomatic means, he added.

The country has joined almost all international treaties and relevant international organizations in regard to nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional weapons, according to Zhang. China has also established and improved its export control mechanism.