During a meeting with a US delegation headed by Henry J. Hyde, chairman of the International Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives, Jiang said the Taiwan question was crucial to China and Sino-US relations, and reaffirmed the long-held stance that there is only one China in the world.

To achieve reunification at an early date, he said, would benefit peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large, the steady advancement of Sino-US relations, and the United States itself.

China would continue to strive for a peaceful reunification with the utmost probity and utmost effort while following the basic principle of "one country, two systems" and implementing the eight-point proposal on furthering relations across the Taiwan Straits and promoting the process of reunification of China, noted Jiang.

Remarking that the realization of complete reunification was the common aspirations of the Chinese people, Jiang voiced his appreciation for US President George W. Bush's professed adherence to the one-China policy and for abiding by the three Sino-US joint communiques and opposition to Taiwan independence.

Progress in Sino-US bilateral relations had entered a reasonably positive period, Jiang said, recalling his productive meeting with Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas in October this year.

Both countries hold they share wide-ranging and fundamental common interests, and that they should increase the level of exchanges and cooperation in such fields as the economy, trade, science, technology, education and culture, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism, all of which are in their mutual interest.

They should also strengthen consultation and coordination on major issues such as addressing regional trouble-spots, prevention of weapons proliferation, combating transnational crimes and promoting global economic growth, and constantly improving the constructive and cooperative Sino-US bilateral relations, added Jiang.

He attributed the differences between China and the US to the prevailing differences in national conditions of the two countries, which he described as normal. The crux of the matter was mutual respect, treating each other as equals and the search for common ground, while preserving the differences of each.

He said he was convinced as long as both sides acted in accord with the three Sino-US joint communiques, boosted mutual understanding and handled their differences appropriately, bilateral relations would develop in a healthy way and one which will benefit not only the peoples of both nations, but the world over.

Hyde said he was glad to see the growth of bilateral relations was back on a normal track and the meeting between Jiang and Bush at the ranch in Crawford had improved ties.

He cited their regular high-level exchanges and visits and the on-going dialogues on various topics as indicative of the sound impetus.

The US people respected and admired the Chinese people's achievements and the bilateral relationship would be one of the most important state-to-state relations of the 21st century, said Hyde.

(China Daily December 11, 2002)