APEC ministerial meeting ends with pledges on trade

With the signing of the comprehensive statement, Thursday's ministerial meeting was also accompanied by a series of sideline bilateral meetings.

Li Zhaoxing and his US counterpart, Colin Powell, agreed Thursday to work further for constructive and cooperative bilateral relations and reaffirmed respectively their stands over the Taiwan issue.

Li said both China and the United States should exert joint efforts to strengthen cooperation, and properly handle the Taiwan issue to enhance bilateral ties, while Powell reiterated Washington's one-China policy, its adherence to the Three US-ChinaJoint Communiques, and not supporting "Taiwan independence."

Expressing satisfaction with the development of bilateral ties,the ministers also exchanged views on bilateral and regional issues of mutual concern.

Li on the same day also held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura with the focus on historical issues and Taiwan.

Stressing China's stand over those issues, Li called on the Japanese side to take substantial measures to remove obstacles hampering the development of bilateral relations.

Reaffirming Japan's adherence to the one-China policy and opposition to "Taiwan independence," Machimura called on the two sides to keep contacts at various levels in a bid to seek more common interests.

Source: Xinhua