WEB UPDATE: Chinese ambassador speaks on Sino-U.S. relations
James Shapiro
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Campus News
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Zhou discussed trade with the United States, economic development and Taiwan in a 15-minute lecture, part of the Watson Institute for International Studies' Directors Lectures Series on Contemporary International Affairs. After the lecture, Zhou fielded questions from the audience for about 40 minutes.
Outside on the Main Green, about a dozen students from the Brown Darfur Action Network rallied before the speech to protest China's involvement in the conflict in Sudan. Protesters distributed flyers outlining China's "connections to the genocide in Darfur," and held signs that read "China Funds Genocide," "Complicity in Genocide" and "No Blood For Oil." One large banner read "Beijing '08 Genocide Olympics," referring to a potential contradiction between the Olympic spirit and Chinese policy in Sudan.
Some individuals criticized Chinese policy in their questions to the ambassador, but the lecture proceeded without disturbance.
"China has achieved a historical leap from a subsistence economy to moderate prosperity," Zhou said.
"However, China remains a developing country faced with many bumps in its road to development. Its basic national condition - namely a huge population, a weak economic foundation, developmental imbalances and relatively low living standards - remains unchanged," Zhou said. "The central task for China will always be always be promoting social and economic development and improving the living standards of the people."
"China's road of peaceful development underlies our independent foreign policy of peace," Zhou said. "China does not … impose its values on others, does not enter into alliances with any country or country group, does not interfere in other countries internal affairs or allow others to interfere in its own internal affairs." Zhou said.
Zhou described China's foreign policy as peaceful and amiable. "China opposes … and will never seek hegemony," he said. "A China that pursues an independent foreign policy of peace seeks to build friendly relationships."