China urges US to abide by commitment on Taiwan issue

BEIJING—China on Thursday urged the United States to abide by its repeated commitments to adhere to the one-China policy and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and oppose “Taiwan independence” and Taiwan’s bid to join any international organization which only sovereign countries can join.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a regular press conference when responding to a journalist’s question citing a U.S. official who expected better relations between the United States and Taiwan and called on the Chinese mainland to decrease military deployment against Taiwan.
He said the Taiwan issue is always the most sensitive and important core issue in China-U.S. relations, and China hopes the United States will scrupulously abide by its commitments that the United States adheres to the one-China policy and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and opposes “Taiwan independence” and Taiwan’s bid to join any international organization which only sovereign countries can join.
The spokesman urged the United States to “cautiously” and “properly” handle the Taiwan issue, adding the Chinese government’s position on the Taiwan issue has not changed.
Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan met with a delegation of U.S. Congress members here on Thursday, pledging to strengthen bilateral trade cooperation and facilitate fresh progress of Sino-U.S. constructive cooperative ties. The delegation, consisting of congress members and governor of Missouri, was led by senators Christopher Bond and Claire McCaskill. To cement cooperation and exchange between China and the United States will contribute to world peace and development. China would unswervingly boost its reform and opening-up, Wang said, calling on joint efforts from both sides to promote progress in bilateral constructive cooperative ties.
China was ready to cement friendship with Missouri and step up the win-win cooperation in trade and other areas in a bid to benefit people of both sides, Wang added. In response, Bond and McCaskill said Missouri was willing to exploit its own advantage and cement cooperation with China in trade, air transport, tourism and culture.
Chinese political advisors on Sunday Morning continued to raise their proposals on major state affairs at the annual session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Sixteen CPPCC National Committee members spoke at the session’s third plenary meeting on the Taiwan issue, economic development of Hong Kong, political system, Chinese culture promotion, judicial justness, rural health care, among others.
Jia Qinglin, chairman of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC, attended the meeting. Senior officials from the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and State Council, were also present to hear the proposals. Li Wuwei said on behalf of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang that the Taiwan issue concerns China’s reunification and the core interests of the country.
The non-Communist parties should exert their efforts for the benefits of the people across the Taiwan Straits and sovereignty and territorial integrity by upholding the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, Li said. Yu Sun-say from Hong Kong suggested that the special administrative region should strengthen its role as an international market while seeking to merge with the mainland’s economy, which is both beneficial for Hong Kong’s own development and its participation in the nation’s development.
Yu called for the participation of Hong Kong professionals in drawing up the national development plan for the years between 2011 and 2015. Li Lijun, a top supervision official in central Hunan Province of the non-Communist China Democratic League, proposed a complete official accountability system that puts officials under the oversight from the powers of political morality, discipline and law. —Xinhua