Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and US Secretary of State Colin Powell exchanged views over the phone Monday evening on how to secure smooth progress in the second round of six-party talks to be held in Beijing.  

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said this in a press release but did not give further details on what will be done to that end.

According to the release, Li expressed appreciation for the statements that President George W. Bush made on Dec. 19 last year and Powell made recently on the stance on the Taiwan issue, and elaborated China's principled stance on the current situation of Taiwan.

Powell reiterated that the US side sticks to the one-China policy. He said the policy that President Bush and the US government stated on the situation of Taiwan remains firm and unchanged. The US government opposes any statements and activities intended to unilaterally change the status quo of Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2004)