Tang said at a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Lee Armitage that President Jiang Zemin's visit to the United States this fall has great significance on the development of constructive and cooperative relations.

He also urged the US to cautiously handle the Taiwan issue, a problem of vital importance to the steady development of Sino-US relations.

"Independence for Taiwan means disaster," he warned.

China hoped the US had a clear understanding of the real face of separatism in Taiwan, and would stop selling advanced arms to Taiwan or upgrading its relationship with Taiwan, would send no wrong signals to the separatist forces seeking independence so as to ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and the healthy development of Sino-US relations, he said.

Armitage said the two sides had held fruitful talks and cooperation on bilateral, international and regional issues recently. The United States attached great importance to President Jiang's forthcoming visit and was ready to make all necessary preparations, he said.

He reiterated that the United States had adopted the One-China policy, observed the principles set forth in the three Sino-US joint communiqu?s and rendered no support to the independence of Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2002)