Jiang first expressed his warm welcome to Bush, noting that he and his US counterpart had a very good meeting in Shanghai four months ago and he is delighted to meet with Bush again.

"At the meeting in Shanghai, we reached an important consensus on working together to develop constructive relations of cooperation between China and the United States," Jiang said. "In the past four months, the two sides have achieved new progress in dialogue and cooperation in various areas. The trend of development of bilateral relations is good."

Bush said that he is pleased to visit China together with his wife and see the tremendous changes in China with their own eyes. He expressed appreciation for the warm reception by the Chinese people, noting that he is very much impressed by the huge changes in Beijing.

Bush again thanked the Chinese people for their support in the fight against terrorism after the terrorist attacks in the United States last September.

Jiang said Bush is paying the visit at a significant time linking the past and the future of the Sino-US relations.

Three decades ago, former US President Richard Nixon visited China and leaders of both nations worked together putting an end to their estrangement and setting about their exchanges and cooperation, Jiang said, adding that history has proven that it was far-sighted of them to take that major move.

Jiang noted that 30 years later, although profound changes have taken place in the international situation, the two countries' shared interests and common responsibilities for world peace have expanded rather than dwindled, and their relationship has become more important rather than less important.

The world expects China and the United States to play their due and positive roles in safeguarding world peace and stability, Jiang said.

The lessons and experience of the development of the China-US relationship in the past 30 years indicate that the two sides should bear in mind the larger picture, take a long-term perspective and enhance mutual understanding and trust in developing the bilateral ties, Jiang said.

Both sides should recognize and respect each other's differences, and seek to expand their common ground, Jiang said, adding that they should also strictly abide by the principles in the three Sino-US joint communiques.

Standing at the threshold of the new century, both China and the United States should learn from the past, look into the future, and make concerted efforts for the further development of their bilateral ties in the future, Jiang said.

In exchanging in-depth views with Bush, Jiang elaborated on China's basic guidelines of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" in solving the Taiwan issue.

Jiang stressed the significance of sticking to the "one China" policy and abiding by the three Sino-US joint communiques.

Bush reiterated that the US side adheres to the "one China" policy and abides by the three joint communiques, which is the consistent position of the US government.

Bush invited Jiang to visit the United States before Jiang attends this year's APEC Economic Leaders Meeting. Jiang expressed appreciation for the invitation and accepted it with pleasure. Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao will visit the United States in the near future as guest of US Vice-President Richard Bruce Cheney.

The two heads of state agreed to take active efforts to develop exchanges and cooperation in the areas of economy and trade, energy, science and technology, environmental protection, AIDS prevention and treatment and law enforcement. The Sino-US joint meetings on economy, commerce and trade, and science and technology will be held this year.

The two sides also agreed to establish a joint working group for the issues of environmental protection and climate changes on the pretext that the two sides do not change their respective positions on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

Jiang and Bush also had in-depth discussions on the situation of international anti-terrorism and they agreed to continue to strengthen consultations and cooperation on the basis of two-way exchanges and mutual benefit, and enrich the exchange and cooperation mechanism for anti-terrorism in the middle and long run between the two sides.

They also discussed some differences existing between the two countries. Jiang said that China and the United States have different national conditions and it is nothing strange for the two countries to have some differences. He pointed out that they can continuously reduce differences, expand common views and promote cooperation so long as they act in the spirit of mutual respect, equal treatment and seeking common ground while reserving differences. Bush agreed with Jiang on the point.

Present at the talks from the Chinese side were Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and Chinese Ambassador to the United States Yang Jiechi. The US officials at the talks included Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Chief of Staff of White House Andrew Card and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Condoleezza Rice.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2002)