Hu made the remark during a phone conversation with US President George W. Bush Tuesday evening.

Congratulating Hu on his election as China's president, Bush said the United States is willing to cooperate closely with China to continuously advance bilateral ties.

Bush reiterated the US government's adherence to the one-China policy as well as the three US-Sino joint communiqu?s, saying the United States will not support the "independence of Taiwan."

Hu emphasized China's new leaders will stick to the reform and opening-up as well as the independent foreign policy of peace and continue to develop cooperative friendship with other countries including the United States.

With the care and efforts of Chinese leader Jiang Zemin and President Bush, the two countries have set the goal of developing constructive relations of cooperation, Hu said.

Hu said the two nations have achieved positive progress in exchanges and cooperation in all fields, which conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples and is also conducive to the global peace and development.

Hu appreciated Bush for reiterating the stance on adhering to the one-China policy. This is the political foundation of stable development of Sino-US relations, Hu stressed.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the Iraq issue and the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

On the Iraq issue, China always advocates a political solution in the framework of the United Nations, Hu said, adding China hopes for peace instead of war.

On the DPRK nuclear issue, Hu said the key to solving the issue is to launch dialogues as soon as possible, especially between the United States and the DPRK.

China has always stood for keeping the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free, maintaining its peace and stability, and solving problems through dialogues, Hu said.

In the meantime, actions that will escalate the situation should not be taken, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2003)