China hopes the congress of the United States will properly handle the "Taiwan independence" issue and not encourage any separatist activity of the island, said Chinese state councilor Tang Jiaxuan in Beijing Tuesday.

Tang made the remark when meeting Tom Lantos, senior Democrat on the International Relations Committee in the House of Representatives.

Tang said this is a critical period for the China-US relationship. With wide common interests between each other, China is willing to work together with the US to settle differences and push the constructive cooperation partnership to go further.

However, Tang said the Taiwan issue is still the biggest problem for bilateral relations. China will strive for peaceful reunification with utmost efforts and sincerity, but will never allow "Taiwan independence" and any attempt by any one to separate the island from China.

China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress started to review a draft of anti-secession law at the end of last month. The draft will be submitted to a NPC annual plenary session, scheduled for next March, for deliberation and adoption.

Lantos said he hopes the China-US relations could develop positively and smoothly.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the six-party talks.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2005)