A senior Chinese diplomat said in Beijing on Friday that
President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the US is "vitally
important" in promoting bilateral relations.
Speaking at a news briefing about Hu's five-nation visit, Vice
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Hu's US visit slated for April
18-21 was a major event in Sino-US relations and would help
facilitate the "sustainable, healthy and steady" development of
bilateral ties.
Noting that China-US relations were maintaining a good momentum,
Yang said Hu and US President George W. Bush as well as other US
leaders would exchange views on bilateral relations and major
international and regional issues of common concern in a "profound
way."
The two leaders met last year in New York and Beijing
respectively and they came to an important consensus on promoting
the constructive and cooperative relations facing the new century
in an all-round way.
In his visit to Seattle, Washington D.C. and Yale University, Hu
will meet parliament members, officials, scholars, workers and
students as well.
"We hope that Hu's visit will encourage both sides to examine
the importance and necessity of developing Sino-US relations from a
strategic height and long-term perspective," he said.
The relationship between China and the US was among the most
important bilateral relations in the world, Yang said. "The common
interests of both countries have increased steadily, the foundation
for cooperation has been further fortified and opportunities are on
steady rise."
Maintaining stable and healthy development of Sino-US relations
is in the fundamental interests of both countries and conducive to
peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the
world at large, he added.
The two countries have been maintaining frequent high-level
exchanges and contacts this year, Yang said.
A number of senior US officials, including US Assistant
Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon and
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, have visited China
this year.
China has also sent many delegations to the US, with Vice
Premier Wu Yi co-chairing the 17th Meeting of the China-US Joint
Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) with US Secretary of
Commerce Carlos Gutierrez and Trade Representative Robert
Portman.
The two countries have made headway in many areas including
trade, anti-terrorism, nonproliferation, and prevention and control
of bird flu as well.
They have been maintaining effective consultations and
coordination in international and regional affairs such as the
nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, the Iranian nuclear issue,
the reconstruction of Iraq and UN affairs, Yang said.
Noting that the Taiwan issue was the most important and
sensitive one in China-US relations, Yang said it is in the
interests of both China and the US to oppose and contain "Taiwan
independence" and to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan
Straits.
He reiterated China's hope that the US government would stick to
its pledges on the issue and would not send wrong signals to
"Taiwan independence" activists.
Hailing that economic and trade cooperation had brought benefits
to the two peoples, Yang expressed the hope that the two countries
would take into account each other's concerns as well.
(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2006)