China Slams
U.S. Decision to Cut UN Population Funding
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Annan and
Powell.
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BEIJING,
July 23 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - China Tuesday condemned a
U.S. decision to cut funding to a UN family planning fund (UNFPA),
saying "people who really care" about developing nations
would not welcome the move.
The U.S.
announced Monday that it would withdraw millions of dollars in funding
for the UNFPA over charges the fund is promoting abortion and forced
sterilization of women in China.
State
Department spokesman Richard Boucher made the announcement at his
regular daily news briefing around 1:15 pm (1715 GMT), reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
"Secretary
of State Colin Powell has decided that pursuant to the Kemp-Kasten
amendment, that U.S. funds for family planning and public health will
go through USAID [US Agency for International Development] and not
through the UNPFA," said Boucher.
The
Kemp-Kasten Amendment, passed by Congress in 1985, denies U.S. funding
for coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization, as determined by
the President.
The
announcement of the decision to withhold $34 million dollars in UNFPA
funding was sure to draw fire from liberal U.S. lawmakers who have
mounted a campaign in the past weeks to salvage the money.
In an
effort to blunt that criticism, Boucher announced Washington is to
redirect the funding to other organizations that promote family
planning and women's health, U.S. officials said.
The
Foreign Ministry in Beijing additionally defended China's population
control policy, slammed by Washington for supporting coerced abortion
and forced sterilization.
"It's
not beneficial to the international community's cooperation in the
population field," a Foreign Ministry statement said of the U.S.
move.
"It
is something that people who really care about developing countries'
population and course of development would not like to see."
A U.S.
team sent to China in May found that while there was no evidence the
UNFPA knowingly supported or took part in such actions, some coercive
practices did exist in 32 Chinese counties where it is active.
The
Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said anyone "without
prejudice" could see that China's birth control policy, including
the "one-child" policy, was fair and humane, while not
explicitly denying the U.S. allegations.
"This
policy not only eased the contradiction of rapid population growth not
conforming with economic and social development, but also increased
people's health and education standards and has made important
contributions to stabilizing the world population," it said.
The
State Department was expected to make the announcement as early as
July 15 but delayed it in order to ensure the money was redirected
"in an appropriate manner," one U.S. senior official said,
AFP reported.
Administration
officials, lawmakers and interest groups monitoring the issue said
Sunday they have been told the decision is final.
Chief
U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was
disappointed the Bush administration was expected to scrap the cash.
"I
think UNFPA does very essential work, and we have made it clear that
it does not go around encouraging abortions," Eckhard quoted
Annan as saying. "Rather, it gives good advice to women on
reproductive health and does good work around the world, including in
China."
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