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Chinese FM Meets US Secretary of State
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Friday in Bangkok that since the beginning of this year, with the joint efforts of China and the United States, the bilateral relations between them have been stable on the whole and have made some progresses.
Tang made these remarks during his meeting with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright during the 7th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum here.
Tang said in the second half of this year, China and the United States should continue their efforts to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, particularly to make good preparations for the Sino-American leaders' meetings during September's U.N. Millennium Summit and the informal APEC leadership conference in November, so as to help the bilateral relations continue to be stable and make improvements.
On the Taiwan issues, Tang reiterated the Chinese government's stand of principle. Noticing U.S. repeated expression of its insistence in "One China" policy, its intention to stick to the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, and not to support Taiwan independence, not to support "two China," "one China, one Taiwan,"not to support Taiwan's entry of any international organizations of sovereign states, Tang said China pays much attention to the US stand and promise.
But, what is more important, Tang added the US side should carry out its promise and take practical actions to enable the Taiwan situation to move in the direction towards the improvement of cross-Straits relations, peace and tranquillity in the Asia-Pacific region and stability in Sino-American relations; and not the opposite.
Albright said the two sides together expect the two important meetings of US and Chinese leaders this year, the US side agreed that the two sides should cooperate to make good preparation in various areas.
She added the US-Chinese relations developed smoothly in the first half of this year, and the two countries should handle their relations from a point view of strategic height.
The US government will continue to do its best towards the development of the bilateral relations, she said, adding it is also expecting a quick congressional acceptance of the bill on the permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with China.
Of the Taiwan issue, she said the US government has repeated its support to "One China" policy and this stand has not changed a bit.
Tang said the Chinese government resolutely opposes the US development of National Missile Defense (NMD) and opposes any country to give assistance or protection of Theater Missile Defense (TMD) to Taiwan.
He hoped the US will seriously consider a possible series of negative, serious international influence by developing NMD and TMD, and not to make any decision of endless disasters.
The US side made it clear that it will continue its exchange of views with China on this issue.
The two sides also exchanged views about other issues.
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