State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan called for appropriate handling of the Taiwan issue in an address yesterday at the National Committee on US-China Relations and US-China Business Council.  

The Taiwan question is China's core interest as it bears on the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "An appropriate handling of the issue, therefore, is the key to a stable and growing relationship between China and the US," he said.

"We are ready to do our utmost with maximum sincerity to secure the prospect of a peaceful reunification. But we will never put up with 'Taiwan independence,' nor will we allow any one to make Taiwan secede from China by any means," Tang said.

China has taken positive steps to improve and develop cross-Straits relations and has always stood for dialogue with all Taiwan-based political parties, organizations and personages who recognize the one-China principle and the "1992 Consensus," Tang said.

However, the Taiwan authorities have to date refused to recognize the one-China principle and the "Taiwan independence" forces are still pushing their agenda of "constitutional reengineering," "name rectification" and other "de jure independence" activities, Tang said.

"Opposing and checking 'Taiwan independence' and maintaining peace and stability in the Straits serve the common interests of both China and the US," he said.

"We hope that the US side will earnestly honor commitments and join the Chinese side in opposing and checking 'Taiwan independence' so as to preserve our common interests of seeing a peaceful and stable Taiwan Straits," he said.

Tang said that although relations between China and the US had a rather unfortunate experience before the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries today work closely together to promote a constructive and cooperative relationship.

"Through exchanges of visits, meetings at international gatherings, hotline conversation and correspondence, the leaders of our two countries have stayed in touch with one another on bilateral relations and major international or regional issues of mutual interest," Tang said.

Tang stressed that as peace, development and cooperation have emerged as the irresistible trend of history, China-US common interests have increased rather than decreased, the foundation for their cooperation has solidified rather than weakened and the importance of the relationship has become more pronounced rather than curtailed.

Besides the summit meeting in Santiago, Chile last year between President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush, the two countries have now carried out coordination and cooperation in economy, trade, counter-terrorism, law enforcement, nonproliferation, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the UN reform.

"I firmly believe that stronger China-US coordination and cooperation in regional and international affairs will serve not only the fundamental interests of the two countries, but also world peace and development," Tang said.

As to trade friction, Tang said the two sides should stick to the principle of long-term development, work out the problems through equal-footed consultations and strive for a win-win result.

"The Chinese side attaches importance to American concerns about trade imbalances, IPR protection and others, has taken and will continue to take effective steps to address them gradually," Tang said, adding that China is not after prolonged surplus in trade with the US and will continue to make good on its WTO accession commitments.

He said that both China and the US should take efforts to address their economic and trade friction.

"We hope that the US side will recognize China's full market economy status, lift restrictions on commodity and technology exports to China and correct the wrong practices of trade protectionism," he said.

What is more, China and the US should explore new areas of cooperation, such as cooperation in the research, development and application of clean and alternative energy sources and the construction of nuclear power plants, Tang said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2005)