Visiting Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao attended a dinner hosted by US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday evening before he had talks with Powell on Sino-US relations.
Powell said the United States has attached great importance to the US-China relations and the visit by Vice President Hu Jintao has offered a major opportunity for increasing mutual understanding and promoting the relations between the two countries.
It is of vital importance for the two nations to keep high-level contacts on the bilateral ties as well as on major regional and world issues, he said.
The two countries have enjoyed good cooperation in fighting against terrorism and in fields such as trade, economy and science and there is more room for further cooperation between the two countries, Powell added.
Hu said the development of Sino-US relations has gained momentum since Chinese President Jiang Zemin and US President George W. Bush met in Shanghai last year and in Beijing last February.
Hu, who arrived in Washington Tuesday morning for an official visit, said China has attached great importance to the development of Sino-US relationship and it is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples to develop healthy and stable relations between the two countries.
However, Hu pointed out that the Sino-US relationship has recently suffered some problems, mainly concerning the Taiwan issue, a major and sensitive issue in the Sino-US relations.
He said the US side should adhere to the one-China policy, abide by the principles of the three Sino-US joint communiques and take concrete measures to solve the problems so as to maintain a good Sino-US relationship.
The US side understands the importance China has attached to the Taiwan issue, an issue that is highly sensitive for the Chinese government and people, Powell said, adding that the US administration abides by the three US-China joint communiques and the one-China policy has for a long time been embodied in the US policy toward China.
The two sides also exchanged views on developing bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade and economy and broadening exchanges between the two sides in other areas as well as on regional and world issues of common interest.
Hu also met US Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill and Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans.
(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2002)
