China Tuesday urged the United States to stop elevating its relationship with Taiwan to avoid dampening bilateral relations and damaging mutual interests.

"Once again we urge the US side to realize the importance and sensitivity of the Taiwan question, scrupulously abide by its commitments, correct its mistakes and stop actions that advance US-Taiwan relations,'' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan.

He was responding to reports that the American Institute in Taiwan had invited several important Taiwanese political figures to its American Independence Day reception, which was held on July 3.

The spokesman said China had made solemn representations over this issue to the United States.

"Such action by the American Institute in Taiwan is inconsistent with its status and functions of a non-governmental organization,'' said Kong.

"It constitutes an obvious violation against the three joint communiquis between China and the US and related commitments made by the US.''

In addition, a yearbook on China's diplomacy and the international situation in 2002 was published recently, according to Kong Quan.

The book, systematically enunciating Chinese government's foreign policy, stances on the international situation and important international events, is to help Chinese and foreign people fully understand China's foreign affairs.

(Sources from China Daily and Xinhua News Agency, July 9, 2003)