blank.gif (49 bytes)ad_haier1.gif (5482 bytes)

blank.gif (49 bytes)14/01/1999, updated at 9:00am       blank.gif (49 bytes)weather.gif (982 bytes)archive.gif (946 bytes)search.gif (947 bytes)

Chinese
Chinese
headline
TopNews
HomeNews
WorldNews
Educationcul
Economicnews
SportsNews
Opinion
Indepth
WorldMedia
ChineseMedia



*Sino-US Diplomatic Ties Anniversary Marked

Chinese Ambassador to the US Li Zhaoxing gave a grand reception in Washington Tuesday night, marking the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Secretary of State Madelaine Albright and National Security Advisor Sandy Berger attended the reception at the Chinese embassy.

Also present were more than 430 White House and State Department officials, prominent business representatives, military leaders and overseas Chinese.

In the bright reception hall, color photos on the wall record the changes in relations between the two giants, which established diplomatic relations on January 1, 1979.

Albright and Berger, accompanied by Ambassador Li, passed through the big crowd and stepped up onto the platform hung with the national flags of the two countries.

Li, deputy foreign minister before he occupied his current post last March, took the floor first, saying a healthy and stable China-US relationship not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries, but also contributes greatly to world peace, stability and prosperity.

Recalling the successful cooperation between the two countries in the past two decades, he emphasized the progress in bilateral ties through exchange of visits by President Jiang Zemin and President Bill Clinton in the past 15 months.

"These visits have not only greatly enhanced mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples, but also moved China-US relations to a new stage of development. More importantly, the two leaders agreed that the two countries should work together to build up a constructive strategic partnership, thus setting a framework and objective for the development of China-US relations oriented toward the 21st century," he said.

He urged the United States to adhere to the three joint communiques, which China believes enshrine guiding principles for Sino-US relations. The three documents mainly deal with Taiwan, committing the US to one-China policy with Taiwan as its part.

"These principles have demonstrated strong vitality and practicality over the years and will continue to be a guarantee for stable and healthy growth of China-US relations in the future," Li stressed.

Albright, on her part, said that as a former member staff of the National Security Council in the Carter's administration, she felt then and feels now that the US decision to establish diplomatic relations with China was "crucial to the future of the entire Asia-Pacific region and the world."

Speaking highly of the strategic dialog with China, Albright said that the policy was "designed to help us cooperate where our interests coincide and to narrow our differences where they exist."

The historical summits in Washington and Beijing between Presidents Jiang and Clinton had further pushed the two countries to work together in areas of vital significance such as nuclear non-proliferation, stability on the Korea Peninsula, fight against international terrorism, Albright said.

Acknowledging that differences still remain on some issues, she said: "Our relations will be stronger if we are honest about our disagreements."

Albright advocated that the two countries should continue their dialog to develop a "close and lasting" relationship based on shared interests and common pursuit of security and prosperity and peace.

She also called for continued contact and communications between the two peoples across full spectrum of human activity.

In the end, she proposed a toast for friendship and future of the two countries in the next century and the accomplishment of security, liberty and happiness for all the peoples in China and the United States.

A high-ranking Chinese diplomat noted that it was rare that US officials like Albright and Berger would attend foreign receptions, and their presence signified that Washington, like Beijing, is also eager to maintain the momentum of bilateral ties development despite differences on human rights, trade, Taiwan and Tibet.

* Roth: Jiang-Clinton Exchange Marks Positive Accomplishment

A senior US official said Tuesday that the exchange of visits by the presidents of China and the United States was the first positive accomplishment of the Clinton administration's Asia-Pacific policy.

Stanley Roth, assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, told a press conference at the Foreign Press Center that one could not minimize the significance of President Bill Clinton's trip to China last June, which followed Prsident Jiang Zemin's visit to the United States in October 1997.

"This was a very important event in trying to, not only establish and maintain momentum in US-China relations, but to try to give meaning to the notion of moving toward a constructive strategic partnership," said Roth.

Roth accompanied Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on several trips to the East Asian and Pacific region last year.

The exchange of visits by Presidents Jiang and Clinton demonstrated that "the ability of the United States and China to work together on a host of issues would be crucial for managing many of the regional and global challenges that confront us."

"Despite all the problems that remain -- and I make no effort to minimize it in the US-China relations -- I think that the summit was a major step forward," he added.




Copyright by People's Daily Online
Email:[email protected]