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US blamed on Taiwan issue
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FOREIGN Minister Tang Jiaxuan said yesterday that if the United States had not made troubles, the Taiwan question would have been resolved a long time ago.
Tang made this remark at a press conference sponsored in Beijing by the ongoing NPC session.
Tang said that the Taiwan question has not been resolved up to this day because Chen Shui-bian has failed to recognize the “One China" principle.
Tang cited an outside factor, mainly the United States, as the second roadblock to Taiwan's reunification with the mainland.
He said that the one-week trip by Vice-Premier and veteran diplomat Qian Qichen to the United States, starting March 18, is targeted at smoothing “some issues'' which stand in the way of better ties, notably, the Taiwan question.
“Provided that US side takes appropriate steps to approach the Taiwan question, among other issues, Sino-US relations face a future of moving forward,'' Tang said.
In response to a question about possible US sale of AEGIS missile destroyers to Taiwan, the foreign minister said that arms sales to Taiwan will not be in the interests of the US itself.
Tang added that Chinese Government and US Bush Administration have been in constant contact since Republican George W Bush came to power on January 20.
When asked about Sino-Russian ties, Tang said the two countries' relations have demonstrated a very sound momentum of development, characterized by the very active exchanges of high-level visits between the leaders.
Tang said Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China twice this year. China will host this year's APEC informal summit meeting in Shanghai in October, when Putin and Bush will both join.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin will pay a State visit to Russia probably in July, Tang said. (SD-Xinhua)
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