President Jiang: PNTR Conducive to Sino-US TiesPresident Jiang Zemin said Tuesday that the early granting of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status by U.S. Congress to China "is conducive to the healthy development of Sino-U.S. relations, as well as to the growth of bilateral trade and the increase of U.S. investment in China."Jiang made the remarks in his meeting with Alexander Meigs Haig Jr., former U.S. secretary of state and now senior consultant of the U.S.-based United Technologies Corporation (UTC), and George David, UTC's chairman and chief executive officer, as well as other UTC executives. Jiang expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by Haig and UTC in promoting the China-U.S. relations. "A healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and conducive to the peace and stability not only in Asia-Pacific region but also in the whole world," Jiang stressed. Jiang also reiterated Chinese government's principled stance of "peaceful reunification," and "one country, two systems" on resolving the Taiwan issue. The Chinese president also urged the U.S. side to honor "with concrete actions" the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and relevant commitments the U.S. government has made. Haig, who has visited China more than a dozen of times since 1972, said that he supports China's entry into the World Trade Organization and granting China the PNTR status. He said he would continue his efforts for the growth of China-U.S. ties. Haig is in Beijing as guest of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. |
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