Nation vows to punish snakeheads
By Jiang Zhuqing (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-10-29 00:42

China reiterated Thursday it would punish snakeheads who organize illegal incursions into foreign schools or diplomatic compounds.

As part of a regular briefing Thursday, Zhang Qiyue, a spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, said both the organizers and the immigrants will be dealt with according to domestic law, international law and humanitarian principles.

On October 26, Chinese police arrested 62 illegal migrants, including two foreign organizers, who tried to break into a school in the suburb of Beijing, .

"China, like any other country in the world, will show zero tolerance for these kinds of activities but will punish the organizers according to the law as well as combat illegal immigration," she said.

A spate of breaks-in have taken place during the past days, in which groups of illegal immigrants have tried to climb over fences into embassies and foreign schools, Zhang said.

Kyoto Protocol

China welcomes the Russian Duma's recent approval of the Kyoto Protocol, hailing it a "step forward" for Russia to become a member of the protocol, Zhang said.

The protocol is an important document to implement the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change, providing a legal document for the international committee to address climate change, Zhang said.

"We hope those countries which haven't approved the protocol will ratify the document as soon as possible so that the international community can implement practical measures to handle the issue of climate change," she said.

Climate change is a long-term challenge for human kind, requiring unremitting efforts, Zhang said. China plans to work with the international community to continue supporting the Kyoto Protocol and seek measures to address climate change, taking into the consideration national differences.

On six-party talks,China hopes all sides involved will adopt flexible and sincere attitudes to push forward the next round of talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue as soon as possible, Zhang said.

In addition to China, DPRK, the United States, Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan are involved in the talks aimed at realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

China has already hosted three rounds to try to stop a nuclear confrontation between the DPRK and the United States.

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