Foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said yesterday China will not participate in a multilateral meeting aimed at discussing the Iranian nuclear issue. He also made comments on the situation in Myanmar and on the arrest of a man in connection with an illegal organ transplant service.
The multilateral meeting on the Iran issue is scheduled to be held in Berlin today. It is a gathering of senior officials from the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany.
Liu said Beijing's absence is due to technical reasons, adding its position on Teheran's nuclear issue had not changed.
Liu then turned to the situation in Myanmar.
Referring to UN envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari's recent Asian trip, Liu said China welcomed Gambari's forthcoming visit to exchange views on the issue.
Gambari, dispatched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has already traveled to Thailand and Malaysia and is to head to India, China and Japan.
Liu finally discussed a situation involving illegal organ transplant services.
He said procurators in the northeastern city Shenyang have arrested a Japanese man in connection with illegal organ transplants.
The suspect's name is Nagase Hiroyuki, a legal representative for a Japanese-invested information and consultation company in Shenyang of Northeast China's Liaoning Province.
Under the name of "China International Transplantation Network Assistance Center", the company first released information on the Internet in 2004 offering organ transplant services for Japanese customers.
Liu said such an activity was beyond the company's scope and had violated Ministry of Health rules.
China implemented a regulation on organ transplants in May with provisions to prohibit the organ business and to respect donor wishes.
Liu said the case was under further investigation.
Questions:
1. Where is the multilateral meeting on the Iran issue scheduled to be held?
2. Liu sited what type of reasons for China’s absence at the Iran meeting?
3. The man arrested in connection with illegal organ transplant services was arrested in what Chinese city?
Answers:
1. Berlin.
2. Technical issues.
3. Shenyang.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Jonathan Stewart is a media and journalism expert from the United States with four years of experience as a writer and instructor. He accepted a foreign expert position with chinadaily.com.cn in June 2007 following the completion of his Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Comparative Politics.
