The Taiwan issue is of vital importance for Sino-US relations and should be properly handled, State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in Beijing on January 17 during a meeting with an American delegation.

The delegation was headed by George Schwab, chairman of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy.

Tang elaborated the Chinese government's stand and policies pertaining to the Taiwan issue and denounced the separatist attempts of Taiwan authorities headed by Chen Shui-bian as "the root cause of tensions across the Taiwan

Straits" and "a realistic threat" to the peace and stability there and in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.

The Chinese government will stick to the basic policies of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" and try in utmost sincerity its best for a peaceful solution. But it will never allow anybody to separate Taiwan from China, Tang said.

Meanwhile, Tang encouraged the United States to take effective measures to maintain the peace and security across the Taiwan Straits and the common interests of both countries.

Source: Xinhua