China trusts the United States will treat and handle the Taiwan
question from a strategic perspective and play a constructive role
in its peaceful reunification with the mainland, President Jiang
Zemin said yesterday in Beijing.
During a meeting with a US delegation headed by Henry J. Hyde,
chairman of the International Relations Committee of the US House
of Representatives, Jiang said the Taiwan question was crucial to
China and Sino-US relations, and reaffirmed the long-held stance
that there is only one China in the world.
To
achieve reunification at an early date, he said, would benefit
peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at
large, the steady advancement of Sino-US relations, and the United
States itself.
China would continue to strive for a peaceful reunification with
the utmost probity and utmost effort while following the basic
principle of "one country, two systems" and implementing the
eight-point proposal on furthering relations across the Taiwan
Straits and promoting the process of reunification of China, noted
Jiang.
Remarking that the realization of complete reunification was the
common aspirations of the Chinese people, Jiang voiced his
appreciation for US President George W. Bush's professed adherence
to the one-China policy and for abiding by the three Sino-US joint
communiques and opposition to Taiwan independence.
Progress in Sino-US bilateral relations had entered a reasonably
positive period, Jiang said, recalling his productive meeting with
Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas in October this year.
Both countries hold they share wide-ranging and fundamental common
interests, and that they should increase the level of exchanges and
cooperation in such fields as the economy, trade, science,
technology, education and culture, and strengthen bilateral
cooperation in the field of countering terrorism, all of which are
in their mutual interest.
They should also strengthen consultation and coordination on major
issues such as addressing regional trouble-spots, prevention of
weapons proliferation, combating transnational crimes and promoting
global economic growth, and constantly improving the constructive
and cooperative Sino-US bilateral relations, added Jiang.
He
attributed the differences between China and the US to the
prevailing differences in national conditions of the two countries,
which he described as normal. The crux of the matter was mutual
respect, treating each other as equals and the search for common
ground, while preserving the differences of each.
He
said he was convinced as long as both sides acted in accord with
the three Sino-US joint communiques, boosted mutual understanding
and handled their differences appropriately, bilateral relations
would develop in a healthy way and one which will benefit not only
the peoples of both nations, but the world over.
Hyde said he was glad to see the growth of bilateral relations was
back on a normal track and the meeting between Jiang and Bush at
the ranch in Crawford had improved ties.
He
cited their regular high-level exchanges and visits and the
on-going dialogues on various topics as indicative of the sound
impetus.
The US people respected and admired the Chinese people's
achievements and the bilateral relationship would be one of the
most important state-to-state relations of the 21st century, said
Hyde.
(China Daily December 11, 2002)