President Jiang Meets US Secretary of State

Chinese President Meets US Secretary of State

President Jiang Zemin said Thursday the leaders of China and the United States should, proceeding from the historical heights, face the future and push forward the continued development of bilateral relations.

Jiang made the remark during his meeting here this evening with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

This year is of major significance for both countries, said Jiang, and maintenance of the trend of improving and developing Sino-U.S. relations is conducive to the long-term interests of both countries.

Jiang said he is looking forward to his meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton during the coming United Nations Millennium Summit in September.

Both major powers, China and the U.S. share the responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the world, and in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as for progressing the supreme cause of peace and development for the human kind, Jiang said.

He said early in 1993, when he met with President Bill Clinton in Seattle, he proposed that the Sino-U.S. relations should be handled from the strategic heights.

The world has undergone profound and complicated changes over the past eight years, Jiang said, adding that both China and the U.S. are burdened with greater responsibility for maintaining global peace, stability and development, he said.

Jiang urged both sides to recognize the common interests of their countries, and work together to ensure that Sino-U.S. relations move forward in the direction of healthy and stable development, so as to live up to the expectations of both peoples.

Albright replied that President Clinton and the U.S. government attach great importance to U.S.-China relations.

Clinton was deeply impressed with his first meeting with Jiang in 1993, and was pleased about exchanging views with Jiang on bilateral relations on the hotline recently, she added.

Clinton is looking forward to meeting Jiang again during the coming Millennium Summit to further promote U.S.-China relations, she added.

On the Taiwan issue, Albright said that the U.S. understands the importance and the sensitiveness of the Taiwan issue.

The U.S. government adheres to the One-China policy, upholds the three U.S.-China joint communiques, and does not support "Taiwan independence," "one China, one Taiwan," nor will it help Taiwan to join any international organization open only to sovereign states, she said, stressing that the U.S. government will stick to this stand.

Both sides also exchanged views upon settling the issue of permanent normal trade relations.