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Chinese Foreign Minister Meets Former US Secretary of State
Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Friday, December 15, that China believes the United States' China policy observed by the two major political parties in the US will continue after the US President-Elect George W. Bush assumes presidency.
Tang made the remarks during a meeting with former US Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger, who is here as guest of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs.
Tang said China-US relations are at a critical juncture at the turn of the century. China has noticed that there has been common consensus between the Democrats and Republicans on developing relations with China, and the administrations of both parties, have observed the one-China policy.
China-U.S. relations made a historic breakthrough during the administration of President Richard Nixon of the Republican Party and the two countries established formal diplomatic relations during the administration of President Jimmy Carter of the Democratic Party.
In addition, Tang noted, China-US relations made new progress under the administrations of President Ronald Reagan, President George Bush and President Bill Clinton.
Continuing stable and growing China-US relations are especially important at turn of the century, Tang stressed. "We expect to work together with the new administration of the United States and push forward China-US relations to grow in a sustained, healthy and stable manner on the basis of the three Sino-US joint communiques."
The foreign minister said the Taiwan issue is always the core issue and it is most important and most sensitive to China-US relations. As the US Government has made clear pledges on this issue, China hopes the new administration of the US will strictly keep its pledges, deal with the Taiwan issue appropriately, and clearly support China's peaceful reunification.
Appropriate dealing of the Taiwan issue by the US is crucial to the stability of China-US relations and the situation across the Taiwan Straits, Tang said.
Eagleburger said the US, like China, has the responsibility and duty to improve and develop US-China relations. US-China relations will be the most critical and most important bilateral relations in the world for the first half of the 21st century.
Eagleburger said U.S.-China relations should be ensured to have constant improvement for the benefits of all sides. He said he will do his utmost for that end.
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