On the eve of Chinese President Hu Jintao's (胡錦濤) visit to Washington next week, US President George W. Bush indicated on Monday that he would remind the Chinese leader that his administration does not expect either side of the Taiwan Strait to institute any changes to the cross-strait status quo.
Bush's remarks, inserted into a speech on the threat of global terrorism, signaled that he fully expects the Taiwan issue to be one of the topics he and Hu discuss during their summit meeting in the US capital on April 20.
Bush did not seem to indicate that his administration plans to put forward any major new initiative on the issue. But he did indicate he expected China to bring it up during discussions.
"On their agenda has been in the past Taiwan, of course, which is a predominant issue," Bush said.
"I've worked hard on that issue to make it clear that our position has not changed, and we do not expect either party to unilaterally change the status quo," he said.
Bush's comments came as a top Beijing official urged Washington to oppose "de jure Taiwan independence."
State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan (唐家璇) told a delegation of US foreign policy experts visiting Beijing that the US "should `see clearly' the danger and harm of `de jure Taiwan independence' attempted by Taiwanese authorities headed by Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁)," according to a report on Monday by the official Xinhua news agency.
The report quoted Tang as saying the US should "oppose and firmly discourage" such independence moves and "other secessionist activities" to maintain peace and stability in the strait and region.
Tang also called Hu's visit one of "profound significance" in efforts to boost bilateral ties.
In his remarks, Bush termed China "the issue that is on most Americans' minds and the issue that really is the issue for the future."
He called US relations with China "very positive and complex," in view of the ability of Hu and his predecessor, Jiang Zemin (
Bush pointed to trade, human rights and freedom of religion as issues the US side wishes to bring up in his summit with Hu.
When the visit was official announced last week, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli cited efforts by the US and China to improve their bilateral relationship by working together "to contribute to international growth and stability in ways that benefit both our countries."
"Obviously," he added, "this visit will represent one of the key milestones in that effort."
The visit will be Hu's first to Washington as president. A planned visit last September had to be put off because of the widespread devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina to the US Gulf Coast states.
Hu's last visit to Washington came in April and May 2002, when he was vice president and the heir apparent to Jiang. At that time, he spent three days in meetings with a Washington anxious to size up the then-largely unknown vice president.
The upcoming visit will be much shorter, but the itinerary is almost identical to that of last year's visit.
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