Reparation for War Crimes

The Japanese Supreme Court rejected a 10-year-long lawsuit for an apology and compensation brought by survivors of the 1932 Pingdingshan Massacre in which over 3,000 Chinese civilians were slaughtered by Japanese soldiers. "We will continue the lawsuit even if we have to go to the international court," one survivor said.

See previous post.

Taiwan

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Taiwan is not eligible to become a member or observer of the World Health Organization. He said that the PRC Ministry of Health and the WHO Secretariat had signed a memorandum of understanding on Taiwan health and medical experts' participation in WHO technical activities.

Extradition

Lai Changxing, a Chinese fugitive whom Chinese authorities accuse of being a kingpin of a multibillion US dollar smuggling operation in Fujian province, may be deported by Canada to China within a week.

War Crime

A newly declassified Chinese diplomatic file explains the reasons why China did not prosecute 1,063 Japanese war criminals in 1956. "In light of the international situation, the Chinese government has opted to take lenient policies towards Japanese war criminals to help promote normalization of China-Japan ties," a Chinese memorandum to Soviet Union said.

Territory

A state-owned Vietnamese company is reportedly building up a satellite station and a mobile communications network over parts of the Spratley Islands. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman denounced the actions to be "illegal" and said that the disputes "should be solved peacefully through negotiation in light of universally recognized international law, contemporary maritime law as well as the fundamental principles and legal institutions set up by the UNCLOS."

Extradition
Terrorism

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman demanded the return of five Chinese terror suspects released from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre and denounced the US decision to allow them to seek asylum in Albania. "The act by the United States and Albania strongly violates international law," he declared. Albania is reportedly considering the application by the five individuals for political asylum.

Human Rights

China is amongst 64 States that are running for membership of the newly established Human Rights Council of the United Nations. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that China's election would be good for the cause of global human rights protection.

Later, China was elected to the Human Rights Council with 146 votes.

See previous post.

Use of Force

China and Russia opposed key provisions in a draft Security Council resolution that orders Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions. China objected to the reference to Chapter 7 of the Charter and the characterisation of the Iranian nuclear programme as a "threat to international peace and security." Diplomats said that negotiations now would concern formulas that would make the resolution legally binding but exclude any hint of the use of force.

See previous post.

Human Rights -- Religious Freedom

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman denounced the 2006 annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom which criticised the religious situation in China. The criticism "shows once again the organization's ignorance and prejudice," proclaimed the spokesman.

Law of War

Chinese officials asked Japanese diet members to urge their government to fulfil the promise it made under the Convention on the Banning of Chemical Weapons and the memorandum of the two countries on the destruction of the Japanese abandoned chemical weapons, and to completely destroy them as early as possible. Japan abandoned 2 million tons of chemical weapons in about 40 sites in 15 provinces in China when it was defeated in World War II.