Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday that China remains a developing country although the official size of economy has risen after taking into account emerging service industries.

China on Tuesday raised the official size of its economy, saying its GDP last year was 15.9878 trillion yuan (1.981 trillion US dollars) following a survey that to gather more accurate data on restaurants, retailers and other service businesses, which were previously underreported.

China will not change its diplomatic policies, and will remain dedicated to economic development, raising people's living standards and safeguarding a peaceful and stable environment, Qin said.

Noting that China's per capita GDP ranks after 100th in the world, Qin said, "Our current task is to concentrate on construction and development."

He said China would remain a "positive force" in safeguarding world peace and development no matter how developed China is in the future.

Dual standards in combating terrorism opposed

Qin Gang said it is imperative to abide by the UN charter and the international law in fighting against terrorism and China is opposed to dual standards in combating terrorism and to linking terrorism with any specific religions.

Qin made the remarks in response to a question about a statement made by U.S. President George Bush on December 18 that he will continue to authorize intelligence agencies to eavesdrop on international phone calls without court approval as long as the country remains threatened by terrorism.

Qin said China's stance on fighting terrorism has always been firm and clear. China opposes terrorism in any form but believes that fight against terrorism should be "conducive to safeguarding the peace and security of humankind and promoting the civilization and prosperity of the society".

Fund-raising meeting for bird flu prevention

An international meeting will be held in Beijing to raise funds for bird flu prevention and control from January 17 to 18, 2006, Qin announced.

The meeting is being co-sponsored by the Chinese government, the European Union Commission, and the World Bank, Qin said.

The meeting would evaluate the funds and technology required to control bird flu in certain countries and regions and mobilize all parties to collect funds and establish a donation management mechanism, he said.

"Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has sent an invitation torelevant countries and international organizations to participate in the meeting," he added.

According to the spokesman, a senior official meeting will be held on the first day to evaluate the current status of the bird flu epidemic and the required funds and technology. The ministerial-level meeting will be held on the second day to confirm the donations from certain countries or organizations, he said.

The Beijing declaration will be passed during the meeting to reflect the political resolve of all nations to cope with the birdflu, he said.

"China will take advantage of the meeting to push forward international cooperation on bird flu prevention and control," the spokesman said.

Enhancement of non-govt exchanges with Japan

China is willing to enhance non-governmental exchanges with Japan in various fields, including culture, Qin said.

He made the remarks at a routine press conference in response to a question about romantic epic film "Memoirs of a Geisha" directed by Rob Marshall.

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi stars in the film.

Cultural exchange constitutes an important component part of Sino-Japanese relations, Qin acknowledged, and China has always stood for stepping up communication in every field between the people of the two nations to promote mutual understanding and friendship.

Qin noted that China has repeatedly reiterated its interest in making joint efforts with the Japanese side to push forward exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

Kyrghyz foreign minister's coming visit to China

Kyrghyz Foreign Minister Alikbek Jekshenkulov will pay an official visit to China from Dec. 20 to 24, Qin announced.

During the visit, Chinese leaders and officials are scheduled to meet with Jekshenkulov to exchange views on "regional and international issues of mutual concern as well as cooperation within the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)", Qin said.

China and Kyrgyzstan are two members of the SCO, a regional organization which also groups Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

"China and Kyrgyzstan, as friendly neighbors, has expanded their cooperation in such fields as politics, economy and culture since the two countries forged diplomatic ties," said Qin.

The two countries have completely settled their boundary issue left over by history and signed friendly cooperation treaty, said the spokesman.

Qin said the visit, also taking Jekshenkulov to south China's Shenzhen city, will help cement friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Six-party talks

Qin urged all parties concerned to take the overall situation into account and respect each other so as to advance the process of the six-party talks.

Speaking at the regular press conference, Qin said that all parties concerned could solve relevant problems through negotiations and consultations although the talks are currently plagued by some uncertainties.

To denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and ensure a durable peace and stability on the peninsula accords with the interests of all parties participating in the talks and is their common goal, Qin added.

Qin noted that all parties should fulfil their commitment as they agreed at the fourth round of the six-party talks and the first phase of the fifth round of the talks, which adopted a joint statement and a chairman's statement, respectively.

Qin also denied that China has proposed to hold an informal meeting for the chairmen of all delegations to the six-party talks in Dandong of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

"As the presiding state, China will, as always, advance the process of the six-party talks by negotiating and consulting with the other parties," Qin said.

Speaking of the resolution adopted Friday by the United Nations expressing serious concerns about reports of human rights abuses in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Qin said that China has always been in opposition to the practice of putting pressure on other countries and creating political confrontation in defense of human rights.

Editor: Yan