Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing Monday urged visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to actively implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two nations on bilateral relations.  

Li said the consensus reached last November by President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush in Chile on conducting strategic dialogues and an exchange of visits between the two nations this year laid down a basis for the healthy and steady growth of bilateral relations in next four years.

Besides, he said, the leaders of both nations also agreed to step up consultations, cooperation and coordination in such important spheres as trade, war on terror and Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

"Since the orientation for the growth of Sino-US relations has been made clear-cut, an immediate task for both sides was to carry out to the letter the consensus reached by their leaders, enhance dialogues and cooperation in all spheres in a mutually beneficial way and deal with all relevant issues properly so as to guarantee the healthy growth of US-China relations in the four years ahead," he told Rice who is in Beijing for an event-packed whirlwind visit.

Acknowledging there exist consensus and also some disputes between China and the United States on a number of major issues, Rice said the US government is willing to maintain the momentum of keeping up high-level contacts with China, cope with their disputes in compliance with the principle of mutual respect, and enhance its cooperation with China.

Referring to the Taiwan issue as "the biggest challenge in Sino-US relations," Li said the present situation across the Taiwan Straits remains complex and sensitive. He underscored it would conform with the common interests of China and the United States to oppose and check Taiwan secessionist forces and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

"China hopes that the US side will adhere to the one-China policy, observe the three Sino-US joint communiqués, honor its commitment to opposing Taiwan secessionist forces and avoid any words or deeds that may aggravate the existing tense cross-Straits situation," Li said.

Rice said the US government shall not change its stance of pursuing one-China policy and abiding by the three US-China joint communiqués, but it is very concerned about the developments across the Taiwan Straits. She held that Taiwan issue should deserve peaceful solution.

Li and Rice also had an exchange of views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and other issues.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2005)