China sincerely hopes to realize a peaceful reunification of the motherland and firmly opposes US actions to obstruct this effort, Premier Zhu Rongji said Tuesday at a meeting with visiting US senators Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens.
Zhu expressed appreciation for the two senators' lasting efforts toward the progress of Sino-US relations, and said that bilateral friendly cooperation is in the interests of both countries and is mutually supported by their people.
He noted that during the past 30 years and longer, bilateral relations have generally moved forward although there have been events from time to time which should not have occurred.
Pointing out that the most important and sensitive key issue isthe Taiwan question, Zhu stressed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and this is a fundamental fact.
However, Zhu said, the US government recently conducted a series of actions that violated the three Sino-US joint communiques, including receiving Taiwan's so-called "defense minister." This has interfered in China's internal affairs and obstructed China's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Taiwan question.
The Chinese government and people feel nothing but strong indignation over the action and firmly oppose the carrying out of any similar acts, Zhu stressed.
Mutual trust and cooperation stressed
He also referred to US President George W. Bush's recent visit to China which brought about the second meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in four months. During the visit, the two sides reached a consensus on furthering bilateral constructive and cooperative relations.
Zhu stressed that China hopes the US side will make a concerted effort with the Chinese side to earnestly keep to the consensus, do more to promote the mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries and maintain world and regional peace and stability, in a view to safeguarding bilateral ties in the interests of both countries.
Inouye and Stevens are both veterans who participated in the Second World War, during which US and Chinese people fought together against the Japanese fascists.
They noted that the people from the US respect the Chinese people and value the US-China friendship.
They said the US side knows that the people across the Taiwan Straits are all Chinese. They support the one-China policy, oppose"Taiwan independence" and will abide by the three joint communiques between the two countries.
(People's Daily March 27, 2002)
