Chinese defense chief to visit US next month

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 19, 2003

Chinese defense chief to visit US next month

Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan will visit the United States in the second half of next month,Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Thursday in Beijing.

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Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan will visit the United States in the second half of next month,Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Thursday in Beijing.

Kong, declining to say if nuclear issues regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be on the agenda, said the visit is still under discussion.

Military exchanges between China and the United States play an important part in bilateral relations and are conducive to deepening mutual understanding and expanding consensus, Kong said at the regular news briefing.

"Of course, I think he will also have an opportunity to exchange views with persons in charge of the US military on international and regional matters of mutual concern,'' said Kong.

Kong also noted that China and the United States should properly handle occasional problems and friction in bilateral trade relations.

"Bilateral trade relations will develop in a healthy and stable manner only when the two sides solve the problems through dialogue on the basis of enhanced mutual understanding and trust,'' Kong said.

Kong said Sino-US trade relations are mutually beneficial and the two sides should consult one another on an equal footing and take a pragmatic attitude in solving issues.

China, US share more consensus than differences

China attaches great importance to its relations with the United States, and the two nations have much in common and of course a lot of differences. However, the Chinese side holds that there is more consensus than differences.

He acknowledged that China and the US, representing respectively the largest developing country and the largest developed nation, share both consensus and differences.

China has always hoped that the United States would appropriately handle the Taiwan issue, which is the core and most vital issue in China-US relations, Kong said, stressing that the US side should strictly abide by the three joint communiques, adhere to the one-China policy and oppose the "independence of Taiwan", which has been reaffirmed by the US leaders time and again.

It has been China's persistent hope that Sino-US ties would progress in a healthy and stable way, the spokesman said. The Chinese side is ready to make joint efforts with the US side to strengthen mutual trust and understanding, expand consensus and mutually beneficial cooperation, and spur the growth of bilateral ties in more spheres.

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