Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met with US Assistant
Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Andrew
Kelly Wednesday in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on
Sino-US relations and the DPRK (the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea) nuclear issue.
Sino-US relations are now gaining momentum, said Li, noting that
the bilateral ties face both opportunities and challenges. Both
countries should try to seize opportunities and remove challenges
to boost bilateral relations in the new year, he said.
Li
said that the appropriate handling of the Taiwan issue would
guarantee the healthy development of Sino-US relations, and China
values the assurances made by President George W. Bush with regard
to adherence to the "one-China" policy and the three US-China joint
communiques, as well as his objection to the "independence of
Taiwan" while at his Texas ranch with Chinese President Jiang
Zemin.
China hopes the US side will adhere to its pledges and avoid
sending any wrong signal to "independence of Taiwan" forces, Li
said.
China supports the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the
maintenance of peace and stability there, and is not willing to see
any nuclear weapons to appear on the peninsula, he said, stressing
the achievement of a peaceful solution through dialogue.
China does not support DPRK's withdrawal from the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and China is willing to coordinate
with all parties concerned for an early peaceful solution of the
issue, he said.
The US side is glad to see progress in US-China relations and is
willing to enhance high-level exchanges and comprehensive
cooperation with China, Kelly said, expressing US support for
Bush's reiteration of the "one-China" policy at his ranch.
The United States expressed serious concern over the increased
tension caused by the DPRK's withdrawal from the NPT, and expressed
the hope that the international community will make joint efforts
to achieve an early peaceful solution through diplomatic channels,
he said.
Kelly arrived in Beijing on Tuesday after winding up a visit to
Seoul for consultations on the DPRK nuclear issue. He also held
talks with the heads of the Foreign Ministry's departments
responsible for Asian and US affairs, Fu Ying and He Yafei.
The DPRK withdrew from the NPT last Friday, intensifying tensions
with the US on the nuclear issue and arousing public concern
worldwide. Chinese President Jiang Zemin and his US counterpart
George W. Bush discussed the issue on the telephone the same
day.
(People's Daily January 16, 2003)