Chinese Vice-President Meets US Defense Secretary

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 02, 2002

Chinese Vice-President Meets US Defense Secretary

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Visiting Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao met with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Wednesday in the Pentagon and the two sides reached some consensus on Sino-U.S. relations, particularly on military exchanges between the two countries.

The two agreed that measures will be taken to resume and strengthen the exchanges between the two armies.

Rumsfeld, expressing his welcome to Hu, said that the U.S.- China relationship is very important and the two sides have enjoyed sound cooperation in various fields. The United States is willing to restore military exchanges on the basis of equality and reciprocity, he added.

Hu said that China has attached importance to its relations with the United States. Although China and the United States have some disputes, the two nations share extensive common interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Asian-Pacific region and the world as a whole, he said.

Hu, who is on an official visit to the United States, also noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of former U.S. president Richard Nixon's visit to China and the issuance of the Sino-U.S. Shanghai Joint Communique.

Thirty years ago, Nixon made the important conclusion that China and the United States had no reason to become rivals, Hu said, adding that today, the two countries have no ground not to develop constructive relationship of cooperation for the sake of peace and stability the world over.

The Chinese vice-president said that the military-to-military relationship is a pivotal part of the Sino-U.S. relations and China takes a positive attitude towards the exchanges and cooperation between the two armies.

Hu stressed that the Taiwan issue has always been the most important and sensitive issue in the Sino-U.S. relations.

He expressed the hope that the U.S. side abides by the one- China policy and the principles laid down in the three joint communiques and guards against any attempt by the "Taiwan independence" force, or the separatist force in Taiwan, to disturb the Sino-U.S. relations, so as to promote the development of healthy and stable bilateral relations.

Hu also met on Wednesday with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank James Wolfensohn and former U.S. national security adviser Brent Scowcroft.

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