Foreign and Military Affairs

Chinese, US officials discuss ties after disruption

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-24 23:07

BEIJING - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai has met with US National Security Advisor James Jones and other senior officials, discussing bilateral relations which have been disrupted by US arms sales to Taiwan and President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama.

Cui made a pass-by visit to Washington on Monday and Tuesday after attending a coordinators' meeting for the G20 Summit in Canada. He also met with Deputy National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, Under Secretary of State William Burns and Jeff Bader, senior director for Asian Affairs at the White House's National Security Council.

President Obama values US-China relations and works to develop an active, cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China, the US officials told Cui, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The US officials expressed during the meetings the US adheres to the one-China policy and places importance on China's stance and concern over the issues related to Taiwan and Tibet, said a press release from the ministry.

The US officials told Cui the US is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with China, cautiously handle the sensitive issues in bilateral relations, join efforts with China to address various challenges faced by the world and advance US-China relations toward sustained and stable development.

During the meetings, Cui stated China's principled stance on China-US relations, the Taiwan issue and issues related to Tibet.

Respecting each other's core interests and major concerns is a key for ensuring healthy and stable development of China-US relations, Cui told US officials.

He said a sound China-US relationship is in the basic interests of the two countries and their people and is conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

Cui said China has always placed importance on relations with the US.

He expressed the wish that the US work with China to advance bilateral relations toward the direction of active, cooperative and comprehensive development in line with the important consensus between Chinese and US leaders and with the three Sino-US joint communiques and the Sino-US joint declaration as the base.

Cui also exchanged views on other issues of common concern with the US officials, according to the ministry.