Hu praises nuclear talk deal
11/7/2005 9:24
President Hu Jintao said he welcomed the resumption of the stalled Korean
nuclear talks and promised China would continue to play a constructive role in
the negotiations. Hu told visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in
Beijing yesterday that China views a peaceful settlement of the nuclear standoff
as a matter affecting all of northeast Asia. Envoys representing the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States agreed on Saturday
to resume the six-party talks in late July. Rice, who arrived in Beijing on
Saturday afternoon for a 20-hour visit, was upbeat about the agreement. She
told Hu the United States hopes all parties to the talks will push for
substantial results. In addition to China, the United States and North
Korea, the other countries involved in the discussions are South Korea, Russia
and Japan. On other issues, Hu said the Chinese government is determined to
expand relations across the Taiwan Strait and push for peaceful reunification of
the country. He expressed appreciation to US President George W. Bush and the
US government for their repeated support of the one-China policy and opposition
to Taiwan independence. Hu called on Washington to fulfill its commitment
with concrete actions by remaining vigilant against secessionist forces, by more
explicitly supporting improvements in cross-strait relations and by promoting
peace and stability in the area around the strait. On Sino-US relations, Hu
said ties are advancing in a constructive manner. The two countries have made
new progress in cooperative efforts on trade, anti-terrorism, law-enforcement
and health, he said. The president said China highly values its relationship
with the United States and is ready to work with Washington to deepen trust and
cooperation. Rice said the relationship between the United States and China
is proceeding with good momentum. She noted that her current trip to China is
her second as secretary of state in six months, which demonstrates the
importance of the relationship between the two countries. She also said Bush
is anticipating a visit to the United States by Hu, during which the two leaders
will exchange views on US-China relations and other major issues of common
concern. Beijing is the first leg of Rice's four-nation Asian tour. She left
the Chinese capital yesterday afternoon for Thailand, and from there will go on
to visit Japan and South Korea. Before her meeting with Hu, Rice held talks with
Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. Wen said yesterday that
Sino-US relations have achieved fruitful cooperation in a "wide range of
fields," especially in the rapid expansion of trade and economic links. He
said trade and other economic cooperation between China and the United States
have brought huge benefits not only to the people of both countries but also to
the global economy. Wen also expressed the hope that both countries would
abide strictly by the regulations of the World Trade
Organization.
Xinhua news
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