Dear Mr. Kofi A. Annan,
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton,
China claims 20 million citizens died as a result of the 1937-45
war with Japan's Imperial Army. The 1937 Nanjing massacre killed
140,000 people, according to allied trials of Japanese war criminals.
Beijing had demanded Tokyo make a clear-cut statement over
the suffering inflicted on Chinese during Japan's invasion.
As Jiang said on his arrival, "a review of the past experience
of the history of China-Japan relationship is of great significance."
In our view that demanded is all Chinese wish, we support the
issue.
According to reports; Beijing had failed to persuade Tokyo
to strengthen the isolation of Taiwan and the joint communique
would simply "emphasize that Japan-Taiwan relations are
not at government-to-government level."
The new statement would reaffirm a 1972 joint communique which
says Japan understands and respects mainland China's position
on Taiwan, regarded by Beijing as part of its territory.
At the human rights rally in central Tokyo, a statement distributed
by Amnesty international Japan said it had written a letter
to Obuchi urging him to encourage Jiang to improve rights.
The mainland Chinese leader's visit "is a great opportunity
for the Japanese government to play a significant role in protecting
human rights in the international community, particularly in
Asia" it said.
Reports said; mainland Chinese authorities are
holding more than 70 Protestant leaders in a crackdown on unofficial
churches that has involved torture, a shooting and ransom like
fines, a human rights group said on Nov. 25, 1998.
The detained Protestants were leaders of so-called "house
churches" --- groups that shun communist party-controlled
state churches and worship underground --- and were rounded
up early this month in central Henan province, human rights
in China said.
In many ways, mainland China has signaled its openness to change,
allowing a U.S. President to speak on state-run television,
giving its citizens more freedom to travel and work as they
choose, and signing human rights treaties. At the
same time, the government has expelled foreign reporters and
imprisoned mainland Chinese journalists.
Behind the more open liberal fall, mainland China is fighting
an information counter revolution, its state security apparatus
used laws on secrecy and subversion to suppress information
the ruling communist party dislikes and to lock up the messengers.
In mainland China, nearly all information that has not been
published in the tightly controlled state media is regarded
as classified. The government also set strict rules for foreign
reporting, although enforcement is sporadic and arbitrary.
For mainland citizens, the stakes are much higher. The maximum
penalty for violating the state secrets law is death. A
broad definition that makes it impossible to know what kind
of information the authorities will view as sensitive.
The public was allowed to watch U.S. President Bill Clinton
voice his views about democracy on state---controlled television.
In U.N. accords, the government has pledged to uphold basic
civil, economic and social rights. But mainland
Chinese citizens who attempt to exercise those rights can find
themselves in trouble.
About 40 pro-Taiwan independence activists from the Republic
of China(Taiwan) staged a demonstration in front of the mainland
President Jiang Zemin started his six-day state visit to Japan
(Tokyo, Nov. 25, 1998)
The demonstrators, including dozens of ROC nationals residing
in Japan, brandished posters and banners protesting mainland
China's threats of force against Taiwan and its persistent diplomatic
strangulation strategy against Taiwan.
The banners and posters read "protest China's
suppression of Taiwan" "support one China, one Taiwan,
and support Taiwan independence."
Mainland China has been pressing Japan to spell out in a joint
statement to be signed during Jiang's Tokyo visit a so-called
"three no's" policy regarding Taiwan
--- no support for Taiwan independence
--- no support for "two Chinas" or "one China,
one Taiwan"
--- no support for Taiwan's membership in international organizations
which require statehood.
The "three no's" is invading Taiwan people's
rights. Only Taiwan people have the right to say "yes"
or "no". We feel delight in "Japan
understands and respects mainland China's position on Taiwan",
that "three no's" is of no work in Japan government,
because of Japan has no legitimate right to address issues related
to Taiwan's status quoting the 1945 Potsdam Declaration, and
the San Francisco Peace Treaty.
Numata also reaffirmed the continuity and consistence of Japanese
policy toward Taiwan, stressing that the Japanese government
has no intention of adjusting the stance on Taiwan stated in
the 1972 joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic
ties between Japan and mainland China.
We heartily urge that any countries in our world
respect Taiwan's democracy and interests of the 22.8 million
people of Taiwan.
Taiwan need your support.