China Criticizes Bullying by Powerf

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Subject: China Criticizes Bullying by Powerful Nations (while Bullying its

own people and provinces)
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China Criticizes Bullying by Powerful Nations

(while Bullying its own people and provinces)

               AP
               27-JUL-99

               SINGAPORE (AP) -- In an apparent reference to the NATO
               bombing of Yugoslavia, China's foreign minister today
               criticized countries that bypass the United Nations and
               "bully" others in the name of human rights. Secretary of
State
               Madeleine Albright said the United States is no bully. 

               Addressing diplomats from 20 countries at a meeting
               sponsored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
               Tang Jiaxuan spoke against what he said was large powers'
               violation of smaller nations' sovereignty. 

               "The claims such as 'the supremacy of human rights over
               sovereignty' and 'there is no national boundary in
               safeguarding human rights' are in essence excuses for
               strong countries to bully weak ones," the Chinese foreign
               minister said. 

               "To bypass the U.N. and its Security Council so as to
have
               one's own way will definitely weaken the pillar for the
               international security system and bring chaos into the
               international order," he said. 

               But Albright, who was among those who heard Tang, told
               reporters: "If the reference is to the action of NATO and
the
               United States in Kosovo, you need to ask the hundreds of
               thousands of Kosovars who have in fact been subjected to
a
               bully that has massacred people and committed
               unspeakable crimes against humanity." 

               She left the way open for similar actions in the future. 

               "When the U.N. cannot act because it is blocked by those
               who are not supporting the Universal Declaration of Human
               Rights, (and when there is) a necessity to try to bring
justice
               when crimes against humanity are committed," Albright
said,
               "then the United Nations ... leaves itself out of an
essential

               action. 

               "I am very proud of the action the United States and NATO
               took to allow those people to return to their homes and
build
               a decent life for themselves," Albright said. 

               Tang recently has said China remains unsatisfied with
U.S.
               explanations that NATO's May 7 bombing of the Chinese
               Embassy in Yugoslavia was an accident. 

               Albright and Tang, who met Sunday over lunch, also
differed
               on Taiwan's recent insistence on "state-to-state"
relations
               with China. Tang refused to rule out force in unifying
the
               mainland with Taiwan, which China considers a renegade
               province, and warned the United States not to interfere. 

               Albright also issued a joint statement today with the
foreign
               ministers of South Korea and Japan, warning North Korea
of
               "serious negative consequences" if it goes forward with
an
               expected test of a long-range missile. 

               "Our nations are united in urging (North Korea) to
respond
               positively to the opportunity that now exists for it to
improve
               its relations with the international community," Albright
said.
               She said she hopes North Korea "is listening to messages
               that are being delivered loud and clear." 

               Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said there
               would be "clear benefits" to North Korea in demonstrating
               restraint. Otherwise, he said, "in regards to the flow of
               people, goods and money, we might consider taking some
               actions." 

               China, which is North Korea's ally, went along with a
               statement issued Monday by the ASEAN forum saying the
               missile test would have a serious impact on stability in
Asia. 

               North Korea fired a three-stage missile over Japan last
               August and is widely believed to be planning to test a
more
               advanced version soon, perhaps within the month. The
               newest North Korean missile could reach Japan, Hawaii and
               parts of Alaska. 

               In meetings today between ASEAN and its 10 key foreign
               partners, several foreign ministers urged Asian countries
to
               resist the temptation to ease up on tough economic
reforms
               now that the region is beginning to recover from its
financial
               crisis. 

               "The hard times are far from over," South Korean Foreign
               Minister Hong Soon-young said. "Restructuring half
finished
               is as dangerous as no restructuring at all. We must guard
               against the complacency that small successes tend to
               breed." 

               The 10-member ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia,
               Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
               Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. 


               They meet annually in the ASEAN Regional Forum with the
               United States, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, Canada,
the
               European Union, South Korea, India, New Zealand and
               Mongolia.