Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian on Monday urged the United
States not to send misleading signals to the Taiwan authorities
over the unresolved Taiwan issue.
He
said that more contact between the Chinese and US armed forces will
help develop relations between the two countries and safeguard
peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Chi made the remarks to Anthony Lake, former assistant national
security advisor to the US President, who is leading a delegation
to a symposium on the development of Sino-US relations, hosted by
the Chinese People's Liberation Army University of National
Defense.
The defense minister said that the proper settlement of the Taiwan
issue is the key to ensuring healthy and stable relations between
China and the United States.
He
said the Chinese government will solve the Taiwan issue according
to "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems", and the
eight-point proposal raised by Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
He
urged the US side to observe the three Sino-US joint communiquis
and not to mislead the Taiwan authorities.
Lake said that both the United States and China are influential
countries of the world, and the two governments need to keep
strategic dialogue if they want to maintain healthy and stable
relations.
Chi, also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, said
that the symposium helps promote mutual understanding and trust and
helps realize the consensus on developing Sino-US constructive and
cooperative relations.
He
said that China and the United States shoulder responsibility for
world peace and development, and they share common ground, which is
the foundation to develop constructive and cooperative
relations.
He
noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Shanghai
Communiqui. "Sino-US relations in general have developed forward
although the international situation has changed greatly over the
past 30 years," he said.
He
expressed the hope that the symposium will contribute to the
development of the relations between the two countries and their
armed forces.
(
June 25, 2002)