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Vice Premier Urges to Strengthen Sino-US Relations
Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen said Thursday that China attaches great importance to US Congress' role in strengthening ties between the two nations and it hopes that more US Congressmen would make positive contributions to the promotion of the bilateral relations in the 21st century.
Speaking at a breakfast gathering with about 20 Congressmen at the Capitol Hill, Qian said that in view of the overall situation, the Sino-U.S. relations have been forging ahead despite ups and downs and frustrations they suffered in the past.
At present, the two countries are facing opportunities for further advancement in their relations as well as problems that should be addressed in a careful and appropriate way. "The purpose of this visit is to enhance dialogue and mutual understanding, seek common ground while shelving differences, increase consensus, and expand cooperation between the two countries," Qian said.
Referring to the Taiwan issue, Qian noted that the Republican as well as Democratic governments in the past decades have conceded that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China, and they all have expressed their willingness to adhere to the one-China policy and to abide by the three Sino-US joint communiques.
"To fulfill those commitments in real earnest by the US government is the key to a sound development of its relations with China," Qian said. And "what should be emphasized is that the US side should handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan on the basis of the August 17 Communique" reached between Beijing and Washington in 1982, which requires the Americans to phase out weaponry sales to the island.
In response to critics on China's human rights by some US Congressmen, the Vice Premier stressed that the Chinese government has always put high value on and worked hard for human rights, and the achievements it has made in this aspect have been known to the world. "The current human rights situation in China is the best in the country's history," he stressed.
Qian said that it is no surprising that China and the United States discord on the human rights issue since the two nations have quite different conditions and background. What is important is that both sides should respect each other and none of them should impose its own will upon the other, he said.
Qian pointed out that the Chinese Constitution protects the freedom of belief, and there are now five major religions in China involving more than 100 million people across the country. The Falun Gong, however, has nothing to do with any religion, and it is merely a destructive cult that amasses wealth illegally, destroys human lives, disintegrates families, disturbs social stability and violates laws.
He noted that the Falun Gong has taken away more than 1,700 human lives in China, and it is just for the sake of protecting the freedom and human rights of the Chinese people, the government has decided to ban the evil cult of Falun Gong in accordance with relevantlaws.
The US Senators and House Representatives present at the breakfast gathering voiced their readiness to further push forward the US-China relations. They also expressed their appreciation on the progress China has made in its reform and opening to the outside world.
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