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China defends relations with Khmer Rouge
Beijing (AFP) Feb 17, 2009 China refused to comment Tuesday on the trial of the man known as the torturer-in-chief of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, but defended its "friendly relations" with the genocidal regime. "The trial of the leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea is an internal affair of Cambodia," foreign ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said, referring to the name of the government that ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979. "We hope that the international community can fully respect the choice of the Cambodian people." She was commenting on the trial of Kaing Guek Eav who went before a UN-backed genocide tribunal Tuesday in Phnom Penh, facing charges that he ran a prison centre for the communist regime, which killed up to two million people. Democratic Kampuchea was set up after the Khmer Rouge, backed by China's communist revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, took over the capital Phnom Penh in 1975, opening the way for a campaign of killing and repression. When asked about China's support of the Khmer Rouge, Jiang pointed out that the United Nations and other governments also recognised it at the time. "China has had friendly relations with successive Cambodian regimes," she said. "At that time, we knew that the administration of Democratic Kampuchea had a legal seat with the UN and had diplomatic relations with countries around the world." Tuesday also marked the 30th anniversary of China's invasion of Vietnam. Very little information about the war is available through official Chinese channels, but foreign historians say China moved against Vietnam to punish it for invading Cambodia in December 1978 and bringing down Pol Pot's regime. Jiang declined Tuesday to comment on China's invasion of Vietnam, or the reasons for it, saying only that the two nations now wanted to work towards a friendly future. "History has already made its conclusions, we hope we will put behind the past and face the future," Jiang said. "China and Vietnam had an unhappy period in history, but what is important is that the leaders and the people of the two countries have reached a wide agreement to open up a future of friendly relations." Related Links China News from SinoDaily.com
China in life, death struggle with Dalai Lama: media
Beijing (AFP) Feb 16, 2009China's media stepped up its rhetoric against the exiled Dalai Lama Monday, saying the communist-led nation was in a life and death struggle with Tibetan separatist forces led by the spiritual leader. |
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