Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, at a meeting with American scholars
in New York Sunday night, stressed that China and the United States
should avoid conflicts and make more efforts to deepen their
relations.
A review of the history of China-US relations over the past half
century leads to?the basic conclusion that both gain from
peaceful coexistence?but lose from conflict, and it is a
common understanding that the two nations should continuously
broaden and deepen their relations, Wen said.
Wen discussed with these American scholars China-US economic and
trade ties, the exchange rate of the Chinese currency, the RMB, and
relations across the Taiwan Straits.
Wen said that China will make joint efforts with the United
States to establish a new mechanism of consultation to properly
handle possible friction and conflicts and start a new phase of
cooperation in economic relations and trade between the two
sides.
Among the scholars were David Lampton, director of Chinese
Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies,
and Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations.
They noted that the China-US relations have improved a great deal
amid ups and downs over the past three decades as both sides
managed to narrow their differences and open up broad prospects for
further cooperation.
They cautioned that the two countries should work together to
properly handle the problems in bilateral trade. They also made
suggestions on readjusting China's policy governing the exchange
rate of its currency. Wen Jiabao said China will further improve
the mechanism of shaping RMB's exchange rate.
The Chinese premier reiterated that China will adhere to the
fundamental principle of "peaceful reunification and one country,
two systems." He stressed that China will never tolerate any
attempt to split Taiwan from the motherland.
Some of the US scholars present said the US government should
take a clearer stand against Taiwan's independence, and both sides
should improve their communication and join hands in maintaining
the stability in the Asia Pacific region.
Wen also met with some 600 representatives of the local Chinese
community. At the meeting, he said maintaining national unity
constitutes the ultimate national interests and that China will do
its utmost to promote the peaceful reunification of the
motherland.
(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2003)