Produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center

31 October 1996

(1) CHINA UNVEILS AMBITIOUS SPACE, MOON PROGRAMS

31 October 1996, NANDO TIMES

(2) NOBEL WINNER URGES UN PUSH ON EAST TIMOR IN 1997

31 October 1996, NANDO TIMES

(3) LEADING CHINESE DISSIDENT SENTENCED TO PRISON.

30 October 1996, Reuters

(4) CHINA WARNS EUROPE OVER TIES TO TIBET.

30 October 1996, Reuters

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(1) CHINA UNVEILS AMBITIOUS SPACE, MOON PROGRAMS

31 October 1996, NANDO TIMES

BEIJING - China hopes for a breakthrough to launch manned space flights early next century and planns to land a spacecraft on the moon in the 21st century, the Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

Senior Chinese space officials had unveiled an ambitious, multi-million dollar and wide-ranging program that was aimed at giving the country a competitive edge in international space development, Xinhua said, quoting senior officials.

China is known to be eager to push ahead with its space program to expand its role in the commercial satellite business while winning international prestige through trumpeting its technological advances, industry analysts have said.

Manned space flights were being given top priority in China's space program, which includes building a heavy solar satellite in partnership with Germany as well as developing a new generation of lightweight spacecraft to 'bus' satellites into orbit, Xinhua said.

"The country is expected to make a breakthrough in manned space technology at the beginning of the next century," Xinhua said, quoting Wang Liheng, vice-administrator of the China National Space Administration.

Wang gave no more details of the manned space flight program, which has been rumoured for some time.

However, Li Jianzhong, president of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told Xinhua that China was pushing ahead with its goal to boost launch vehicle technology in the 21st century. He said the goal was to build rockets that could carry 20-tonne payloads -- more than twice the current capacity of the nation's most powerful launch vehicles.

China, which put its first satellite into orbit in 1970, has been trying to expand its role in the commercial space market, despite a series of recent setbacks.

In August a Long March 3 rocket, considered one of China's most reliable launch vehicles, failed to put a U.S.-built satellite into orbit. In February, technical flaws had even more disastrous results when a new generation Long March 3B rocket exploded shortly after

take-off, killing six people.

Li said China also planned to develop a reuseable space transport system and vehicle re-entry and landing systems.

Cheng Fangyun of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said a small spacecraft with low operating costs would be designed.

"China has reliable technology for space tracking, telemetry and control to do this," Xinhua quoted Cheng as saying.

In terms of moon exploration, China planned to provide cheap transport systems for lunar-landing spacecraft to explore the moon and developing lunar resources, Xinhua said.

Xu Fuxiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Space Technology, said items under development included a scientific satellite, the Shijian-5, which was light and cheap and would become a 'bus' for small satellites.

In solar observation, China and Germany were cooperating to produce a two-tonne lunar satellite equipped with a solar telescope. The $100 million satellite was expected to be sent into orbit around 2002, said CAS member Ai Guoxiang.

China has also decided to invest 170 million yuan to build the world's most advanced sky survey telescope that could observe at least 100 million galaxies, he said.

China was working on its own space station, Xinhua said.

It is cooperating with the United States and Russia to build a magnetic spectrograph aboard the Alfa station -- scheduled to be launched early next century -- that was expected to detect anti-matter and dark matter in the universe, Xinhua said.

(2) NOBEL WINNER URGES UN PUSH ON EAST TIMOR IN 1997

31 October 1996, NANDO TIMES

LISBON - Nobel peace laureate Jose Ramos-Horta said he advocated mounting a big diplomatic push next year to resolve the dispute over Portugal's former colony East Timor, which was invaded by Indonesia in 1975.

"The strategy that we support is a major political and diplomatic movement in 1997 towards a possible confrontation (over East Timor) in the UN general assembly in September or October 1997," he said late on Wednesday.

"1997 will be a very vulnerable year for Indonesia," the bow-tied former journalist told foreign reporters during a visit to Lisbon to set up a foundation to support his cause.

Ramos-Horta said Portugal's recent success in winning a seat on the United Nations Security Council should serve to help the cause of self-determination for East Timor.

"It will intensify diplomatic action in general," he said.

But he said dialogue between Portugal and Indonesia should not continue if the two sides failed to make progress in the next round of talks over the territory.

Lisbon and Jakarta have held periodic but largely unproductive meetings under the auspices of the United Nations in an attempt to resolve their differences over East Timor.

The United Nations does not recognise Indonesian sovereignty and considers Portugal the administering power.

"If in the next round of talks between Portugal and Indonesia there are no substantial results, we believe ... that it would be untenable for the Portuguese government to justify the continuation of dialogue with Indonesia," he said.

Ramos-Horta and the Bishop of Timor Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo received the Nobel prize for their work to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor which has been in turmoil since Indonesia annexed the tiny territory.

Indonesia says it should be awarded a Nobel peace prize for its role in promoting stability in southeast Asia during the last 30 years.

Portugal was elected to the powerful 15-member U.N. Security Council last week for a two-year term beginning in January.

Together with Sweden, it beat Australia in a three-cornered race for two seats in the West European and Others group.

Ramos-Horta said he was preparing for a visit to Brazil, another former Portuguese colony, next month to press for support for his cause from Latin American states who had a powerful voice within the United Nations.

He said the struggle of Latin American countries against dictatorships in the past should create a natural affinity between their region and the Timorese.

Ramos-Horta said he expected to meet President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the first head of state who congratulated him on his Nobel prize, during his visit to Brazil between November 19 and 24. He would not visit other Latin American states.

Asked if he would use the prize to press the causes of other peoples fighting for democracy, he said: "If I can help these people who are struggling, I will do so. We (Timorese) don't have a monopoly of suffering."

(3) LEADING CHINESE DISSIDENT SENTENCED TO PRISON.

30 October 1996, Reuters

The leading dissident in China, Wang Dan, was sentenced to 11 years in prison today for "plotting" to overthrow the government. The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court ruled that Wang was guilty of conspiring to subvert Chinese authorities. The government cited Wang's writings in foreign publications in justifying his conviction. Wang has already served four years in prison for "counter-revolutionary crimes or subversion," for his role in pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

(4) CHINA WARNS EUROPE OVER TIES TO TIBET.

30 October 1996, Reuters

BEIJING - China warned the European Union Wednesday that its ties with China could be harmed by a recent row over a visit by Tibet's exiled Dalai Lama, Beijing's rival for Tibetan loyalties.

"Mandarins in the European Parliament and European Commission readily play the part as the trumpet of the Dalai Lama," said a commentary in the China Daily newspaper.

"By supporting the Dalai Lama, the two important bodies have put themselves in opposition to China and the 1.2 billion Chinese people," the official newspaper said.

"We hope the two organizations will not go too far over the Tibetan issue at the expense of Sino-European relations," it said.

China last week slammed as "rude interference" in its internal affairs a meeting between the Dalai Lama and officials from the European Parliament during the exiled god-king's current European tour.

French Justice Minister Jacques Toubon Tuesday met the Tibetan monk despite a warning by China against such meetings.

China said Paris had told Beijing that French officials should not meet the Dalai Lama and warned of damage to Sino-French relations.

France said Toubon met the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed revolt against Chinese rule and who was on a two-day private visit to Paris, as a private individual rather than as a government representative.

Beijing accuses the globe-trotting Buddhist monk, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1989 for his peaceful campaign for more autonomy for his Himalayan homeland, of working to split Tibet from the rest of China.

"Righteous people throughout the world will sooner or later see through his evil intentions," the newspaper said.

Beijing threatened possible trade retaliation against Canberra after a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Australian Prime Minister John Howard last month.

Prepared by:

Abdulrakhim Aitbayev (rakhim@lochbrandy.mines.edu)

WUNN newsletter index

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The World Uyghur Network News electronic newsletter is produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center (ETIC) in cooperation with the Taklamakan Uighur Human Rights Association (USA), and is devoted to the current political, cultural and economic developments in Eastern Turkistan and to the Uyghur people related issues.

Eastern Turkistan (Sherqiy Turkistan in Uyghur) is a name used by the indigenous people of the region for their motherland located in what is at present the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic China.

The World Uyghur Network News brings information on situation in Eastern Turkistan from the Uyghur and other sources to the attention of the international community.

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