Biden made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua and some other news media before kicking off his seven-day visit to Asia today. This will be the Senator's first foreign trip since he became the committee chairman several weeks ago.

Biden, who is scheduled to tour Shanghai, Beijing and Beidaihe on August 7-10, spoke highly of the latest visit of US Secretary of States Colin Powell to Beijing, which he said has brought the US-China relations back on track.

"This administration took office for six months, and appeared departing, at least verbally, from the former administration as to how to deal with China. With the visit of the Secretary of State, things seem to have move toward the direction of seeking to engage and embrace China more than it did at the outset," Biden said.

The Senator noted that there are several schools of thought as to America's policy on China, with "the most conservative thoughts" alleging that "China is going to be America's enemy anyway" and so the country should "prepare for the inevitability."

"I totally (and) completely rejected that notion," Biden emphasized.

Biden said that the American people are "hospitable to the Chinese" and there is "no sense of hostility" among the American people toward the Chinese.

"American people's attitude toward the Chinese people is one of open arms" and "there is a sense that why we wouldn't become friends," said Biden, who first visited Beijing when the two countries normalized relationship in 1979.

"The majority of American people" and "the majority of the Congress" are "at that point" that China is "not our allies but our friends," he added.

Biden said that China's behavior in proliferation has "improved" and that the country's host of the 2008 Olympic games is "a big thing" if the United States continues to engage China, which has already signed onto international commitments and voiced its willingness to live up to global standards.

Senator Biden reiterated his opposition to President Bush's allegation that the United States "would do whatever it took" to defend Taiwan, because "it might mean that the United States is prepared, under any condition, to send American forces to Taiwan, to fight Chinese mainland in any account."

He said that the Americans do not want to tell the Taiwanese that "we will be with you no matter what you will do." "We are not for your independence.. We don't want to confuse things here," he added.

"Our goal, China's goal, Taiwanese goal, as we signed more than20 years ago, is a peaceful integration between Taiwan and China. In that end I don't want to do anything to encourage Taiwan independently declare independence, " he said.

The Senate delegation, also including Senate Banking Committee Chairman Paul Sarbanes, Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Fred Thompson, will visit Taiwan and South Korea in addition to their four-day trip to China, during which they are expected to meet Chinese leaders for talks on a wide range of issues.

(Eastday.com 08/04/2001)