Reagan in Peking

Press, 27 April 1984, Page 6

Reagan in Peking

NZPA-Reuter Peking President Ronald Reagan arrived in China yesterday to document recent progress in Chinese-United States relations as the Chinese assured the Soviet Union that the improvement would not endanger its interests. Mr Reagan, accompanied by his wife, Nancy, and his Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, were met at the airport by the Foreign Minister, Mr Wu Xuequian. Before Mr Reagan arrived an official Chinese commentator told the Kremlin that the improvement in relations between Peking and Washington posed no threat to the Soviet Union. China and the United States have frequently denounced what they call Soviet expansionism in the Asian-Pacific region, and the topic is bound to come up during Mr Reagan’s two days of talks with the Chinese leader, Deng Ziaoping, and his colleagues. The commentary yesterday in the English-language “China Daily” emphasised that China was not on an anti-Soviet crusade. The commentator wrote that improving Chinese-United States relations would be beneficial to peace in the Asian-Pacific region and the world. “Such improvement, of course, is not meant to be directed against any third party, and no-one need ever be concerned, much less apprehensive of it” Despite the warning of relations with Washington over the last year, Peking has pursued parallel efforts to better its ties with Moscow. But China has a serious argument with Washington over its continuing support for the Nationalist Chinese Government on Taiwan, and Peking newspaper editorials yesterday indicated that Mr

Reagan would face tough talk on this from Chinese leaders. “Frankly speaking, the current development of Chinese-American relations is far from what it ought to be,” the Communist Party’s newspaper, “People’s Daily” said. “Relations between the two countries have been obstructed from time to time, especially because of the Taiwan issue, which remains a major obstacle between China and the United States,” it said. The “People’s Daily” said that China had decided to accept the Reagan Administration’s assurances, included in an August, 1982, communique that the United States would run down arms sales to Taipei and refrain from interfering in China’s internal affairs. “China hopes that, through the exchange Of visits by Chinese and American leaders, these good intentions will be translated into deeds,” the official daily said. Mr Reagan told China’s leaders at a dinner last evening that differences over Taiwan should not stand in the way of attempts to improve United States-Chinese relations and protect peace and prosperity in the Pacific. “We can be proud, considering our differences, of how much has been accomplished” since the two countries ended more than 20 years of separation and hostility in 1972. He did not mention Taiwan by name. “There are differences between us, yes, differences that should be neither glossed over nor denied,” Mr Reagan said. That appeared to underline his recent statements that he would not turn his back on Taiwan while he sought improved relations with Peking.

Jolts continue After-shocks rippled through northern California after Wednesday’s earthquake, and scientists said that the region could expect more jolts for several days. At least 18 people suffered injuries ranging from broken bones to cuts from flying glass when an earthquake registering 6.2 on the Richter scale shook wide areas of the state, causing most damage in the town of Morgan Hill, about 112 km south of San Francisco. The tremor, ranked among the five largest in the San Francisco area since the city was wrecked by an earthquake of magnitude 8.3 in 1906, damaged at least 30 houses and left three businesses and two houses destroyed by fire. — San Francisco. Hostages freed About 90 hostages, most of them Portuguese or Filipino, were freed by the Union for the Total Independence of Angola yesterday, a spokesman for the International Red Cross Committee said in Pretoria. The prisoners, who included five nuns and three priests, were being taken to Johannesburg and would then be flown to their own countries. The U.N.I.T.A. rebels, who are fighting the Marxist Government of Jose Eduardo dos Santos, are still holding 16 Britons and about 20 Czechoslovaks. Pretoria. Snow leopards born Three snow leopards, a species near extinction, have been born in the Krefeld Zoo, West Germany. The cubs weighed half a kilogram each at birth. All are believed to be females. The snow leopard is virtually extinct except for a few living in the mountains of Tibet. The Krefeld Zoo director said, that zoos around the world had put in requests for the new-borns. - Krefeld. Eagle batches Martha, a 19-year-old bald eagle that was artifically inseminated because she thinks of herself as a human, has hatched one chick and has a second egg ready to hatch, a spokeswoman for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History says. The 12cm long bird is only the second bald eagle to be hatched through artificial insemination. The first was hatched in 1981 in Indiana. Martha, considered to be in her prime, produced the eggs after she was artificially inseminated by her keeper, whom the bird regards as her mate. 39 car records A car launched on the Australian market last month has completed a marathon endurance run on Queensland’s Gold Coast, establishing 14 international speed records. Driven by four Melbourne race drivers, the little Volvo 360 GLT also established 25 national endurance records during its 24-hour run at SurfersJParadise raceway. — Gold Coast.