12-04-07

中国任命梵蒂冈认可的神父 (China Appoints Vatican Approved Bishop)

中国官方扶持的天主教会任命一位公开宣布效忠梵蒂冈的神父为中国南部省份广东的新主教。梵蒂冈认可的甘俊邱神父星期二在日趋繁荣的南方城市广州被祝圣为主教。他接替最近去世的林秉良。

有关主教任命一直是没有正式外交关系的北京和梵蒂冈之间的一个痛点。信奉无神论的中国共产党夺取政权后不久，中国于1951年强迫国内的罗马天主教徒切断了同梵蒂冈的联系。

在甘俊邱出任主教之前，李山今年9月升任北京教区主教，教皇后来认可了这项任命。

China's state-backed Catholic church has appointed a new bishop in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong who has publicly declared his loyalty to the Vatican. Vatican-approved Father Joseph Gan Junqiu was installed as bishop in the booming southern city of Guangzhou Tuesday. He replaces Lin Bingliang, who recently passed away.

Appointing bishops has been a sore point between Beijing and the Vatican, which do not maintain official diplomatic ties. China forced its Roman Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican in 1951, shortly after the officially atheist Communist Party took power.

Father Gan's appointment follows the September elevation of Li Shan to bishop in Beijing, which was later endorsed by the Pope.

中国称对伊朗立场保持不变 (China Says Stance on Iran Remains the Same)

在美国一份情报报告星期一说，伊朗4年前停止了核项目以后，中国表示将继续以外交手段处理伊朗问题的政策。中国政府的声明星期二说，中国外长杨洁篪星期一晚上打电话给欧洲联盟外交政策主管索拉纳，星期二上午又与美国国务卿赖斯通电话，解释中国的立场。

声明说，杨洁篪强调，中国继续支持国际核不扩散条约以及中东地区的和平与稳定。杨洁篪还说，他希望伊朗能够履行联合国安理会决议规定的责任，与国际原子能机构合作。

China says it will maintain its policy of diplomacy to deal with Iran, after a U.S. intelligence report Monday said Tehran had halted its nuclear program four years ago. A Chinese government statement Tuesday says Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi phoned EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana late Monday, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice early Tuesday to explain China's position.

The statement says Yang stressed that China continues to support the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty, as well as peace and stability in the Middle East. Yang also said he hoped Iran could fulfill its U.N. resolution obligations and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.