Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met in Washington Monday with his
U.S. counterpart Condoleezza Rice to exchange views on bilateral
ties and issues of mutual concern.
Yang, who is to attend the Middle East peace conference
scheduled to open in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday, said that the
Sino-U.S. relationship has generally maintained a positive momentum
of stable development. The two sides continue to deepen exchanges,
cooperate in various fields and coordinate on major international
and regional issues, he said.
The two countries will soon embrace a succession of dialogues,
including the 18th meeting of China-U.S. Joint Commission on
Commerce and Trade (JCCT), the 3rd China-U.S. Strategic Economic
Dialogue, and the 5th Strategic Dialogue.
The Chinese side will work with the U.S. side to make
preparations for the events and create favorable conditions for the
stable development of their bilateral relationship.
On the Taiwan issue, Yang said the current situation across the
Taiwan Straits is highly complicated and sensitive. Defying strong
opposition from the international community, Chen Shuibian, the
leader of Taiwan, has sped up efforts to pursue "de jure
independence" by pushing hard for a so-called referendum to join
the United Nations under the name of Taiwan, which poses a serious
threat to the stability across the straits, Yang said.
The Chinese foreign minister appreciated that U.S. President
George W. Bush and his administration have repeatedly reaffirmed
commitments to the one-China policy and the three Sino-U.S. Joint
Communiques and expressed strong opposition to Taiwan's proposed
referendum on UN membership.
Yang stressed that it is in the common interests of both
countries to oppose and prevent the referendum on UN membership and
maintain peace and stability across the straits.
He urged the U.S. side to take practical steps to fulfill its
commitments in the three Joint Communiques and keep its solemn
promise to the Chinese side on the Taiwan issue.
The minister also called on the U.S. side not to send misleading
signals to the Taiwan authorities by selling advanced weapon
systems and to safeguard peace and stability across the Straits and
the overall relationship between the two countries.
Rice echoed Yang's assessment of bilateral relationship. She
said the United States attaches great importance to dialogues
between the two countries in various fields and hopes that such
dialogues could lead to substantial results.
Rice reiterated that the United States adheres to the One-China
policy, opposes Taiwan's proposed referendum on UN membership as
well as any unilateral change of the status quo.
Yang and Rice also discussed the nuclear issue of Iran and
exchanged views on how to proceed with the six-party talks on the
nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula.
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(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2007)
