US President George W. Bush on Friday telephoned Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) to discuss tensions with Taiwan and the North Korean nuclear crisis, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
The two leaders "reaffirmed their commitment to work together on the issue of North Korea and their nuclear weapons program," the spokesman said as Bush traveled here for a stop on his reelection campaign.
And Bush told Hu that US policy towards Taiwan "remains the same," based on the "one-China" policy but also on US legislation that requires Washington to provide Taipei with weaponry for self-defense, McClellan said.
Hu said China would "exert its utmost efforts with its utmost sincerity to resolve the Taiwan issue by peaceful means", the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
However, Beijing would never tolerate "the independence of Taiwan," Hu added.
The Chinese leader also reiterated China's opposition to US sales of sophisticated weapons to Taiwan, saying that the current situation across the Taiwan Strait was very sensitive.
Washington urged Beijing and Taipei earlier this month to ensure that military exercises they are conducting this month are not provocative and do not add to cross-strait tension.
During the call, Bush "talked about the importance of our relationship with China, as well," said McClellan.
China is North Korea's closest ally and host of six-party negotiations to resolve the issue. It has called for Washington and Pyongyang to show more mutual trust.
The United States has told China there is no change in its demand that all Pyongyang's nuclear programs be addressed in the search for a resolution to the nuclear standoff, the US embassy in Beijing said Friday.
US envoy Joseph DeTrani conveyed the message to China's pointman on North Korea Ning Fukui in talks described as "in-depth" by Beijing.
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