Foreign and Military Affairs

Ambassador urges US to respect China's core interests

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-01 20:34

WASHINGTON: China's ambassador to the United States has urged Washington to respect China's core interests and major concerns and abide by the principles enshrined in the three Sino-US Joints Communiques and the Sino-US Joint Declaration.

Sino-US relations have deteriorated recently due to Washington's announcement of weapon sales to Taiwan, President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama, and trade disputes between the two countries, Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong said in an interview with Xinhua on Friday.

"The US side should take concrete measures to undo the negative effect," said Zhou, adding that the healthy and stable development of Sino-US relations conforms to the common interests of both countries and peoples.

"There is no room for compromise" on the key issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are specified as fundamental principles in the three joint communiques and the joint declaration, Zhou said.

Overall, Sino-US relations have developed smoothly in recent years, Zhou said. Dialogue and cooperation have been the main stream of Sino-US relations, and respecting and taking care of each other's core interests and major concerns is an important prerequisite for stable development of bilateral ties, he said.

"Both countries should follow the principles defined by the Sino-US Joints Communiques and the Sino-US Joint Declaration, and in particular they should respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, so as to ensure the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations," he said.

At the end of January, the Obama administration announced plans to sell an arms package to Taiwan, which included Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters and minesweepers. On February 18, Obama met with the Dalai Lama in Washington, regardless of China's repeated and resolute opposition to the meeting.

Both China and the United States agree that the fundamental principle of respect for each other' sovereignty and territorial integrity is at the core of the three Sino-US joint communiques and the joint declaration which guide Sino-US relations, and that respecting each other's core interests is extremely important to ensure steady progress in China-US relations.

Neither side supports any attempt by any force to undermine this principle.