Talks with US President George W. Bush are "constructive and productive", Chinese President Jiang Zemin said Friday in a joint news conference with Bush after the two held in-depth discussions on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern in Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas.
The two great nations have extensive and important common interests and should expand cooperation and exchanges in various fields, including trade, culture and education, as well as enhancing dialogue on important international and regional issues to push forward the constructive and cooperative relationship between the two countries, Jiang said.
The Chinese president indicated that the two sides are both satisfied with the bilateral cooperation against terror and agreed to enhance cooperation in this field to fight all kinds of terror.
Jiang said that he and President Bush also discuss North Korea's nuclear issue and the two countries will keep contact to ensure the peaceful solution of this issue.
On the Taiwan issue, President Bush pledged that his administration is to make clear to Taiwan that Washington does not support Taiwan independence. Bush said that the United States stood by the "one China" policy, which acknowledges that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China. President Jiang reiterated China's policy of "One country, two systems" and "Peaceful Reunification" on Taiwan issue.
The two leaders also discussed Bush's push for a tough new United Nations resolution requiring Iraq to disarm or face possible military action. Bush said he restated to President Jiang US concerns that Iraq and its suspected weapons of mass destruction pose an imminent threat that requires a tough new UN resolution requiring Baghdad to disarm.
"China supports Iraq's strict compliance with UN Security Council resolutions," he said. "And today ... I urged President Jiang to support a new Security Council resolution demanding Iraq fully disarm itself of weapons of mass destruction."
The Bush administration wants a UN resolution that holds out the threat of military action unless Saddam Hussein disarms. China, Russia and France are cool to language that suggests the use of force.
As part of an effort to maintain high-level contacts with the Chinese government, Bush said Vice President Dick Cheney would visit China next spring.
(China Daily October 26, 2002)
