Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao on the regular press conference June 30, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)'s bid for US Unocal Corp. is essentially a normal business action and on no account should it be affected by political factors, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao on Thursday.

    "Though the parties concerned look at the issue from strategic or political perspectives, the bid is a business action between companies and fall within normal trade exchanges between China and the United States," Liu told a regular press conference.

    "It should not be affected by political issues," Liu added.

    US Treasury Secretary John Snow said Tuesday again that the Bush government will review the takeover deal between CNOOC Ltd. and the US oil company from the country's national security considerations.

    CNOOC Ltd., China's largest offshore oil and gas producer, made a merger proposal to Unocal Corp. on June 23, offering to acquire all outstanding shares of Unocal for 67 US dollars per share in cash or a total of 18.5 billion US dollars in cash.

    China's energy issue will be based on its domestic supply and its ability to resolve energy shortage by itself, said Liu in response to a question concerning China's energy strategy.

    China will make itself an energy-saving society while going on exploring more energy at home, said the spokesman, adding that China will also work with the relevant countries, regions or organizations to conduct cooperation in energy field, which constitutes an important component part in international trade cooperation.

    Fishing disputes

    China hopes Japan would handle fishing disputes properly in accordance with the agreements reached between the two sides.

    When asked to comment on what if Japan directly negotiate with the Taiwan authority on their fishing disputes, Liu Jianchao said such moves will violate the one China principle and do not comply with specifications of the China-Japan fishing agreement.

    "China will express strong opposition to it," he said.

    Taiwanese fishermen said that they have been repeatedly driven away by Japanese patrol boats in the waters of the Diaoyu Islands, their traditional fishing grounds.

    China and Japan have signed a fishing agreement which contains stipulations on issues of fishing in the relevant waters, said thespokesman, adding that Taiwan is part of China and both the Chinese and Japanese sides should follow the agreement.

    "The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the protection of the legitimate fishing rights of China's fishermen, including those from Taiwan," Liu said.

    China has voiced its strong resentment to Japan's driving away of Taiwan fishing boats in waters near China's Diaoyu islands, and demands Japan handle the fishing disputes earnestly, prudently andproperly, said the spokesman. "We have all along been following the development of the issue."

   US urged not to meddle China's coop with other countries

    At the press briefing, Liu also urged the United States to discard cold war mentality and stop meddling in the normal cooperation between China and other countries.

    "China's cooperation with other countries in various spheres is not targeted at any third party including the United States," said Liu.

    On Wednesday, US Republican congressman Henry Hyde introduced legislation to discourage the European Union from lifting its arms embargo on China. Meanwhile, the US government has repeatedly exert pressures on the Israeli government on its arms deal with China.

    Liu said China hopes that the United States would not interfere into its cooperation with other countries and ceased to make irresponsible remarks. "Such actions are unreasonable and we are in firm opposition to them."

    The FM spokesman also appealed to the relevant parties to defy interference and make their own decisions independently.

    More US-DPRK contacts expected

    China expects the United States and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to maintain contacts so as to create conditions for the resumption of the stalled six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue.

    "China expects the United States and the DPRK to move on and create favorable conditions and atmosphere for the resumption of the talks," said the spokesman. 

    The two sides have recently held a series of contacts and set forth some positive propositions towards the resumption of the six-party talks, said Liu when asked to comment on a possible US-DPRK dialogue at a symposium to be held in New York.

    Liu said officials from Chinese Embassy in the United States will attend the symposium on international relations in Northeast Asia.

    By June last year, the six-party talks had held three rounds of negotiations. And Officials from the United States and the DPRK have held negotiations on resuming the six-party talks in last November, December and this May respectively.

    The six-party talks have been stalled since June 2004 as the DPRK accused the United States of adopting a hostile policy towards Pyongyang. Enditem