By TOM MURPHY
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb 22: Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong said Friday that his country backs a “peaceful development” strategy throughout the world but also chided the U.S. for protectionist trade sentiment and said Taiwanese independence is out of the question.
Zhou, speaking before about 200 people at an IUPUI campus auditorium, said China’s gross domestic product has grown by more than 10 percent each of the last two years, and the livelihood of its residents keeps improving.
“We are ready to join hands with people across the world to promote the building of a harmonious world of enduring peace and a common prosperity,” he said. “This is China’s policy and long-term strategy.”
However, he described the push for Taiwan’s independence as “the biggest threat to the peace and the stability in the Taiwan straits region.”
“The 1.3 billion people on the mainland and the 23 million people in Taiwan are of the same blood and share a common destiny,” he said. “We are willing to make every effort with the utmost sincerity to achieve peaceful reunification of the two sides … but we will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from the motherland in any name or by any means.”
Zhou also noted that many “China-related” trade protection bills have been introduced to the U.S. Congress.
“The growing protectionist sentiments and the tendency to politicize economic and trade issues are especially worrisome,” he said.
Most of Zhou’s roughly 40-minute talk focused on China’s contributions to a number of world affairs, including negotiations between the two Koreas and improved relationships with Japan, India and Russia.
Zhou’s IUPUI speech was part of a trip to Indiana that included visits to Columbus’ engine maker Cummins Inc. and drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis.
He also noted that China has contributed more than 9,000 peacekeepers to United Nations operations around the globe.
“Working together, China and the United States effectively safeguard and enhance the peace, stability and the prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world,” he said.
Two protesters were quickly escorted out of the auditorium when they stood up while Zhou answered an audience question about human rights.
Jerry Baker of Indianapolis and Mary-Kate Oreovicz of Bloomington unfurled a 6-foot-long, blue-and-white banner that read “China out of Tibet” before security escorted them out.
Baker wore a “Team Tibet 08” T-shirt and said the banner was made by the Taiwanese Freedom Group. After leaving the auditorium, the two protesters joined a group of Tibetan refugees standing outside the conference center.
“They’re not going to speak about Tibet, so we thought that was as close as we’re going to get on the issue,” Oreovicz said, regarding the banner. “We fully endorse nonviolent protest and as Americans feel it’s our right to stand up with a message.”
