Premier Wen meets president pro tempore of US Senate

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday said China hopes the United States to honor its promise on the Taiwan issue and the US congress to correctly understand and cautiously handle the Taiwan issue.

Wen made the remarks in his meeting with Ted Stevens, president pro tempore of the United States Senate, who arrived in Beijing on Sunday for an eight-day visit.

More efforts should be made on things "conducive to the stability of the Taiwan Strait," he told Stevens.

Wen reiterated the principled stance of the Chinese government on safeguarding the national unification, stressing that Taiwan is an integral part of the Chinese territory.

Such a fact has been recognized in the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and Resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly, the Chinese premier said.

All of the US administrations after China and the United States established diplomatic ties stated to adhere to the one-China policy and President George W. Bush has time and again reiterated the stance to oppose the "Taiwan independence."

Stevens and Daniel K. Inouye, one of the eight US senators with the delegation, said that the US side attaches importance to US-China relations and adheres to the China policy adopted by all US presidents since 1972.

Sovereignty and territorial integrity is important to any country, Inouye said.

They said it is a fact that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China.

The US senate is ready to enhance dialogue with China's National People's Congress on issues of common concern, they said.

Sound Sino-US ties conducive to world peace

Wen said that the sound growth of Sino-US ties is conducive to world peace, stability and development.

The premier said that three conclusions could be drawn from the history of the Sino-US relations:

First, harmonious co-existence between China and the United States brings benefits to both, while confrontation harms both.

Second, China and the United State share common interests and must cooperate.

Third, the maintenance of the sound Sino-US relations is conducive to the peace, stability and development of the entire world.

The healthy and stable growth of Sino-US relations conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people, Wen said.

Wen said that so long as both sides handle bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term view, respect each other, seek common ground, leave differences aside and maintain dialogue and exchanges, the two countries can co-exist peacefully and cooperate in a wide range of areas.

Wen briefed the guests on China's economic situation. The development of China is a major contribution to global peace and prosperity and also creates conditions for the expansion of Sino-US economic relations, he said.

He urged the two countries to seize all available opportunities and make full use of all advantages in markets, human resources, capital and technology for the steady growth of bilateral trade.

Stevens and his delegation, which also includes Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, were invited to China as the guests of China's top legislator Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.