Chinese State President Jiang Zemin and U.S. President Bill Clinton held talks on the morning of June 27 in the Great Hall of the People and had an in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and major international and regional issues.

They reached broad and important consensus, and the talks were positive, constructive and fruitful, according to the presidents.

President Jiang first extended a warm welcome to President Clinton on his state visit to China at the important moment at the turn of the century.

Jiang said an exchange of visits by the two heads of state of China and the U.S. represents the common aspiration of the people of both countries, and signified the beginning of a new era in the growth of Sino-U.S. relations.

"Facts show that the improvement in and development of Sino-U.S. relations is an historical inevitability and no force can stop it," Jiang said.

U.S. President Clinton said this is his first visit to China, also the first visit by an American president in nine years, and a visit only eight months after Jiang Zemin's visit to the United States.

It shows that the progress the two countries have made in building their constructive strategic partnership, and that the vast majority of the people in the United States welcome the improvement and development of Sino-U.S. relations.

Clinton expressed the hope that his frank and open talks with President Jiang and his trip to China will help extend the areas of cooperation between the two sides, reduce differences and increase the American people's understanding of China and Chinese people's understanding of the United States, so as to further expand the friendly partnership between the two countries.


President Jiang noted that peace and development are the main themes of the current times, an era full of both hopes and challenges.

Economic globalization has accelerated the expansion of the international economic cooperation and trade, while scientific and technological advances, particularly the revolution of information technology, have given a new impetus to human progress and social development, he said.

However, destabilizing factors and uncertainties continue to exist in the international situation with the unjust and unreasonable old international political and economic order not fundamentally changed, he said.

Regional conflicts caused by racial, religious and territorial disputes and such problems as international crimes, drug trafficking, terrorism and environmental degradation remain unabated, and the financial crisis has caused economic and political turmoil in some countries, Jiang said, mentioning that the nuclear arms race in South Asia has created sudden tension in the region.

"These problems, if not promptly and properly settled, will cast a shadow over the future of the mankind in the next century," said the president.

In the new historical conditions, Jiang added, China and the United States shared extensive common interests and shouldered unshirkable common responsibilities on major issues concerning peace and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

"As two big countries of great influence in the world and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, we wish to see peace and security prevail in the world and have made our efforts in resolving hot spot issues," said the president.

Sharing a common objective in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction committed to maintaining regional stability, he noted, China and the U.S. have conducted effective cooperation in checking nuclear arms race in South Asia, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in other areas.

As the largest developing country and the largest developed one in the world, China and the U.S. have actively conducted bilateral economic cooperation and trade and worked together to promote financial stability and economic growth of the world, and have also enhanced cooperation in protecting environment and combating international crimes, drug trafficking and international terrorism, said President Jiang.

Jiang said the two sides should view and handle China-U.S. relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, remove all interference and firmly promote a sound and stable development of China-U.S. relations.

He said in handling bilateral relations, the two countries should unswervingly abide by the principles embodied in the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques and the Sino-U.S. Joint Statement.

China and the U.S. should make particular efforts to properly address the Taiwan question, Jiang stressed.

"We should properly addr the 20th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

"China-U.S. relations are at an important historical juncture of building on the past and preparing for the future," Jiang said, and "I am convinced that, with the joint efforts of both sides, we will surely be able to overcome all kinds of obstacles to advance our relations toward a constructive strategic partnership."

The Taiwan question, Jiang said, is the most important and most sensitive issue at the core of China-U.S. relations.

The key to a healthy and stable growth of China-U.S. relations lies in the proper approach to the Taiwan question in strict accordance with the principles set forth in the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques and related commitments.

U.S. President Clinton reiterated during the talks the commitments the United States has made on the Taiwan question.

The two presidents agreed to enhance dialogue and cooperation between the two countries on major international issues and work together to bring into the 21st century a world that is peaceful, secure, stable and conducive to economic growth.

They agreed to continue with concerted efforts to make greater strides toward the goal of a constructive strategic China-U.S. partnership. In this spirit, the two sides decided not to target at each other the strategic nuclear weapons under their respective control.

The two heads of state believe it is necessary and useful for leaders of the two countries to maintain close contacts with each other and have direct, in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and major international issues.

The two sides exchanged views on such issues as the Asian financial crisis and the promotion of a steady economic growth of the region and the world as a whole.

The U.S. side spoke highly of the important and positive role played by the Chinese side in mitigating the Asian financial crisis.

The two sides maintained that in the new situation of an accelerated economic globalization, it was imperative for countries to constantly improve macro economic management systems, make timely readjustment of economic structures, improve financial regulatory and supervisory mechanism and ward off financial risks.

The two sides agreed to further strengthen strategic dialogue in the economic and financial fields so as to make positive contribution to a sound development of the world economy and international finance.

The two sides believe that China and the U.S. are highly complementary in the economic field and enjoy a broad prospect for mutually-beneficial cooperation. The two sides decided to increase exchanges and cooperation on the basis of equality and reciprocity and work for greater development in China-U.S. economic and trade relations.

With regard to the consultations between China and the United States on China's accession to the WTO, the Chinese side has recently put forward a positive proposal and the U.S. side has responded to the proposal positively.

The views of the two sides are approaching to each other and the gap between them is narrowing. They both expressed readiness to continue with the consultations in a flexible and pragmatic manner so as to bring about a solution to this issue at an earlier date.

The two sides are delighted to note that their relevant departments have decided, through consultations on an equal footing, to sign commercial and trade contracts worth 3.12 billion US dollars.

The two sides agreed to conduct technical cooperation in the fields of finance, housing, social security and health care reforms.

The relevant departments of the two sides will hold consultations on specific cooperative projects.

Both sides believe that China and the U.S. share extensive interests and great potential for cooperation in the fields of energy and environment.

In order to implement the relevant points in the Joint China-U.S. Statement and China-U.S. Initiative on Energy and Environment Cooperation, the two sides reached agreement on a number of issues.

These issues include: to sign the China-U.S. Agreement on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technologies and Letter of Intent on Urban Air Quality Monitoring Project; to hold China-U.S. Conference on Financing China's Energy Needs and China-U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Forums in September and November 1998 respectively in Beijing; to strengthen technical cooperation in clean energy, better efficiency and resources recycling and reach agreements on relevant projects; and to hold China-U.S. Water Resources Seminar and establish a working group on water resources management under the China-U.S. Environment and Development Forum to enhance cooperation in water resources management.

The two sides decided through consultations to hold the second session of China-U.S. Environment and Development Forum in Washington.

The competent authorities of both sides have signed the MOU on Cooperation in Management and Protection of National Parks and Other Protected Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites.

The two sides agreed on increased cooperation in protecting rare and endangered species.

The two sides hold that promoting Sino-U.S. legal exchanges and law enforcement cooperation comply with the interests and need of both countries. The two sides will continue their efforts to further implement the consensus reached in the Joint China-U.S. Statement on enhancing cooperation in legal affairs.

The two sides regard the military-to-military relationship as an important component part of the overall relationship and stand ready to increase contacts and cooperation between the two armed forces. The military authorities of the two countries have reached agreement on cooperation in joint humanitarian relief operations, military environmental protection and an exchange of observers for military training and exercises.

The two sides agreed to continue, on the basis of equality and mutual respect, the dialogue on global security and non-proliferation, in order to promote regional and global peace, security and stability.

The two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual and respective interest in the field of non-proliferation and achieved positive results in this regard. They issued a joint statement on the Protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention and another one on the banning of anti-personnel landmines. In particular, the two sides had an in-depth discussion on nuclear proliferation in South Asia and the current situation there, and issued a joint statement between China and the United States on the question of South Asia.

The Chinese side reiterated its principled position on the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and expressed the hope that the U.S. side would strictly abide by the principles set forth in the August 17 Joint Communique and create favorable conditions for the China-U.S. non-proliferation dialogue and cooperation.

The two sides agreed to tighten their respective export control of chemicals. The two sides had an exchange of views on MTCR and agreed to continue the discussion in the future.

The two sides agreed to have, in accordance with the agreement reached in the Joint China-U.S. Statement, human rights dialogue at the governmental and non-governmental levels in the spirit of equality and mutual respect. The two sides agreed to hold human rights dialogue between the two governments and establish a non-governmental human rights forum.

The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in culture, education, health and other fields as well as people-to-people exchanges. The relevant departments of both sides will renew a China-U.S. protocol on exchanges and cooperation in education and a protocol on scientific and technological cooperation in health work.

The two sides agreed to increase academic exchanges and promote exchanges of high school teachers and students with a view to enhancing mutual understanding. The two sides agreed to increase cooperation on the U.S.-China Friendship Volunteers Program.

President Clinton thanked President Jiang Zemin and the Chinese people for the warm reception.

Participants at the talks from the Chinese side included: Vice-Premier Qian Qichen of the State Council, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, Minister Zeng Peiyan of the State Development Planning Commission, Minister of Finance Xiang Huaicheng, Minister of Agriculture Chen Yaobang, Minister Shi Guangsheng of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Director Liu Huaqiu of the Foreign Affairs Office of the State Council, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Li Zhaoxing, Vice-Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and others.

Participants at the talks from the U.S. side included: U.S. Ambassador to China James Sasser, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, Agriculture Secretary Daniel Glickman, Commerce Secretary William Dailey, Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, Assistant to the President on National Security Affairs Samuel Berger, Admiral Joseph Prueher, Commander In Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, and others.