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Wu: Taiwan issue uppermost in Sino-US ties
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-03 01:27
China's National People's Congress (NPC) values friendly exchanges and
co-operation with the US Senate, and is willing to make full use of the exchange
mechanism between them, China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said Monday.
Wu Bangguo (left),
NPC Standing Committee chairman, shakes hands with Ted Stevens, president
pro tempore of the US Senate in the Great Hall of the People August 2,
2004. [Xinhua] | Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, made the remarks in talks with
Sen. Ted Stevens, president pro tempore of the US Senate, who arrived in Beijing
on Sunday for an eight-day official goodwill visit as Wu's guest.
Wu said the Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive issue in
Sino-US relations, because it concerns China's sovereignty, territorial
integrity and the national feelings of all Chinese, including Taiwan
compatriots.
China always adheres to the principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one
country, two systems" on the Taiwan question, and is willing to make utmost
efforts with greatest sincerity to resolve the issue by peaceful means, Wu said.
However, China will never tolerate Taiwan independence nor will it allow
anyone to separate Taiwan from China, he stressed.
China hopes the US side will observe the three Sino-US joint communiques and
translate the commitments into concrete actions, do more to foster peace and
stability across the Taiwan Straits, and not send wrong signals to the Taiwan
independence forces, Wu said.
On the Hong Kong issue, Wu said since Hong Kong's return to China more than
seven years ago, the principles of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people
governing Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy, as well as the Basic Law,
have been fully implemented by the Chinese Government.
As a result, Hong Kong's stability and its position as an international
centre of trade, finance and shipping have been further consolidated, Wu added.
Wu said the interpretation of the annex rules of the Basic Law made by the
NPC Standing Committee in April this year and the decision it made on issues of
electing Hong Kong's Chief Executive in 2007 and forming the Legislative Council
(LegCo) in 2008 are completely consistent with China's Constitution and the
Basic Law, aimed at maintaining Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability.
Wu said he hopes that the US side will keep its promises on the Hong Kong
issue, which are in the common interests of the international community andthe
United States.
Wu also spoke highly of the constructive role played by Stevens and the
Republican party in pushing forward Sino-US relations. He said that Stevens'
visit will surely further the relationship between the NPC and the US senate.
Stevens said the continuous development of US-China relations not only meets
the common interests of the two peoples, but is also conducive to regional and
world peace and stability.
The US side highly values the formal start-up of the exchange mechanism
between the US Senate and China's NPC, he said, adding that the regular
dialogues and exchanges between the two parliaments will play an important role
in promoting mutual understanding and US-China relations.
Stevens reiterated that the US side sticks to the one-China policy, and will
continue to develop US-China constructive and co-operative relations based on
this policy.
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