Chinese and US presidents reiterated the importance of the Taiwan issue to bilateral relations in a meeting in Santiago, Chile, on the sidelines of the 12th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said that "Taiwan independence" will not only put an end to peace across the Taiwan Straits but also gravely wreck peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said at a press conference.

Both China and the United States should perceive the perils of "Taiwan independence" and understand the sensitivity and importance of the Taiwan issue to bilateral relations, Zhang quoted Hu as saying.

"The two presidents have maintained frequent contacts, and they also had a phone conversation prior to their meeting in Santiago on Nov. 20," Zhang added.