Li said President Hu Jintao and President George Bush had a fruitful meeting in Evian of France, laying a good foundation for the future development of Sino-US relations.

He said he hoped the two sides would do a good job in carrying out the common understanding reached by the two leaders.

Li added the Taiwan question remains the most important and sensitive issue in Sino-US relations. He expressed his hope that the US side would keep to the one-China policy and its own promises and take practical actions to safeguard relations.

Powell said the current US-China relationship is satisfying, and the two sides have similar views on many important regional and international issues, and have co-operated well. The United States will continue to uphold the one-China policy, abide by the three US-China joint communiquis and oppose "Taiwan independence.''

The two ministers also exchanged views on the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and issues of Iraq, Middle East, South Asia, terrorism and disease prevention.

Foreign Ministers or delegates of ASEAN members and of China, the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the DPRK, Mongolia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Russia, and the European Union, attended the 10th ASEAN Regional Forum opened here Wednesday, focusing on vital regional security issues and joint efforts against terrorism.

(China Daily June 19, 2003)