Li said that several days ago, the US government allowed Taiwan's so-called "defense minister" Tang Yiau-min to visit the United States to attend a meeting. US deputy defense secretary and some other US government officials even met Tang and discussed with him matters including the situation across the Taiwan Straits.

According to some reports, the US side is now considering to allow the visit to the US by another military official of Taiwan, and to agree to a tour by Lee Teng-hui, the notorious "trouble-maker", in the near future.

What is more, Li said, the "Nuclear Posture Review" submitted to the Congress recently by the US Department of Defense openly stated that nuclear weapons would be used in the event of military confrontation in the Taiwan Straits.

In a short time of slightly more than a month, the US side has done so many wrong things that trample upon the spirit of the UN Charter and the principle of the three Sino-US Joint Communiqu?s, interfere in China's internal affairs and hurt the national sentiments of the Chinese people, Li said, stressing that the Chinese government and people hereby express their strong indignation and firm opposition.

Li said that the question of Taiwan, which bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, is the most important and most sensitive issue at the heart of China-US relations. The US side must honor the explicit commitments it has made to the Chinese government and people in the three Sino-US Joint Communiqu?s.

However, the US side is acting stubbornly and arbitrarily in continuing to sell sophisticated weapons to Taiwan, pampering such figures as Lee Teng-hui, upgrading US-Taiwan relations and inflating the arrogance of the separatist forces in Taiwan, Li said.

"People can not but ask: to where does the US side intend to lead China-US relations," he said, "You talked about hoping to see a peaceful settlement between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. Is what you are doing promoting peace? You repeatedly said that the United States pursues a one-China policy and abides by the three Sino-US Joint Communiqu?s. Is any part of your acts mentioned above consistent with these Joint Communiqu?s?"

Li said China has all along stood for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and maintained that nuclear weapon states should unconditionally undertake not to be the first to use nuclear weapons or use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states and nuclear weapon free zones. China and the US also reached agreement on mutual non-targeting of their nuclear weapons. The US side has also indicated on many occasions that it has no intention to threaten China.

"Then why all this nuclear saber-rattling at the Chinese people? " Li said.

He noted that Taiwan has been an inalienable part of Chinese territory since ancient times. To realize reunification of the motherland has been the common aspiration of all the Chinese people, Taiwan compatriots included. It is an inevitable trend that no one can resist, Li said.

"Pampering and supporting 'Taiwan independence' can only meet with the resolute opposition of all the Chinese people and will be doomed to failure," Li said.

Describing the Taiwan question as "a burden on the back of the United States for more than half a century", Li said that "keeping it on the back will do no good to the United States, for it may end up like lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own toes."

It is more advisable for the US side to follow the trends of history and give up the policy of taking Taiwan as an "unsinkable aircraft-carrier" and using the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs, so that the constructive and cooperative relationship between China the United States will be better served and so will world peace and stability, Li said.

The Chinese people love peace and sincerely hope to live in peace and treat each other as equals with all peoples in the world. China does not pose a threat to any country. The Chinese people have never interfered in the internal affairs of the United States nor have they done anything to harm the American people, Li said.

"At the same time, we must let the handful of political paranoids know that the Chinese people will never yield to any outside intimidation, including nuclear blackmail," he said.

"The time when the Chinese people were bullied has long gone. In the world today, it is a very proud thing to be a Chinese," he said.

"If there is anything good in threatening the Chinese people, it can only be one thing: the Chinese people's vigilance against certain people will be further heightened, their determination to safeguard the motherland's sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity will be greatly enhanced," Li said.

He pointed out that it has not been accidental for China and the United States to develop friendship and cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, politics and fight against terrorism in good time and bad over the past 30 years.

"The West has a saying that makes a lot of sense: there is no free lunch," he said. "Both history and reality tell us that China-US relationship has always been a two-way street and serve both sides. It is not a favor that one gives to the other."

Only when the three Joint Communiqu?s are strictly observed and the question of Taiwan properly handled can there be stability and growth in the relationship, he said.

The principles enshrined in the three Joint Communiqu?s constitute the political basis of China-US relations. The US government also made serious commitments therein.

"The East also has a saying that fits into the situation here: a man who is not trustworthy cannot stand. How can a nation stand on its feet among the community of nations if it does not honor its own words?" Li said.

The talented and hardworking Chinese people will never tolerate outside interference in their internal affairs while allowing a small number of people in America, who cling to the Cold-War mentality, confound the right for the wrong and take a friend for an enemy, to cash in, he said.

Li said that he believes the pragmatic and smart American people will also not permit the irresponsible acts of those hypocritical and foolish hawks to tarnish their good reputation and undermine their vital interests.

Noting that a number of people of vision in the US are condemning 'the nuclear rogue' and the arrogance of certain figures, Li said that as two great peoples, the Chinese and the Americans will not sit idle watching these elements create troubles for Sino-US relations and lead the world towards turbulence.

The Chinese side highly regards the positive achievements of President Bush's visit to China, and values the good opportunities for the bilateral relations brought by this successful visit, he said.

"We hope that the US side will join us in materializing the spirit of the Beijing Summit and advancing the constructive and cooperative relationship between the two countries," Li said.

But "it takes two hands to make a clap" and efforts from both sides are needed, he said, adding that opportunities can lead to fruition or they can slip away.

"As things stand now, the attitude of the US side is the key, " Li said.

He urged the US side to immediately correct the above-mentioned mistakes, abide by the three Joint Communiqu?s, refrain from doing things that harm others and itself, and contribute to stronger mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries, in order to maintain the overall interests of China-US relations and keep the interests of both peoples from undue harms.

"We hope the US side can make the wise choice," he said.

The US Ambassador promised to report faithfully the representations of the Chinese side to the highest US authorities.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2002)