Chinese President Hu Jintao told visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that he hoped the United States would "see clearly the nature and harms of 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces and their activities."

Chinese president Hu Jintao (R) meets visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Beijing, Mar. 20, 2005.

Rice is on her first China trip since she took office in January as the guest of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

Hu said he hoped the United States "would honor the commitments that US President George W. Bush reiterated repeatedly on adhering to the one-China policy, observing the three Sino-US joint communiques and opposing 'Taiwan independence.'"

He also said he hoped the United States would "understand and support all the efforts made by the Chinese government and people to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and realize a peaceful reunification," and that it would not "send any wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces."

Hu said properly handling "the Taiwan question" remains the key to the sound and steady development of Sino-US relations and the Anti-Secession Law passed by China's National People's Congress on March 14 aims to "promote the development of relations across the Taiwan Straits, push forward a peaceful reunification, oppose and curb 'Taiwan independence' and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait."

Rice said it conforms with US interests to maintain tranquillity across the Taiwan Straits and solve the Taiwan question peacefully, and the United States will make efforts to that end.

She said the US government's position on pursuing the one-China policy and abiding by the three US-China joint communiques will not change.

On the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Hu said China is willing to work with all concerned parties, including the United States, to resume the talks at an early date.

Hu said China, while insisting that Korean Peninsula should be nuclear weapons-free, is devoting itself to solving the nuclear issue through the six-party talks, and to safeguarding peace and stability there.

This stance of China is firm and unshakable, Hu stressed.

Rice spoke highly of China's important role in the progress of six-party talks and briefed Hu on the US viewpoints on this matter. She reiterated that the United States also regarded the six-party talks as the best way to solve the nuclear issue.

On bilateral relations, Hu said the two countries should further strengthen dialogue and cooperation, enhance mutual trust and push bilateral constructive and cooperative ties to a higher level.

Reviewing the continuous improvement and development of bilateral relations with efforts from both sides in the past four years, Hu said facts have proved again that China and the United States share wide-ranging common interests and shoulder important responsibilities, and they can realize a win-win result of mutual benefit through cooperation.

The sound, steady and continuous development of Sino-US relationship is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and their peoples and constitutes an important factor for the promotion of regional and world peace, stability and prosperity, stressed Hu.

Rice said the US government attaches great importance to growing and developing US-China constructive and cooperative ties, and people around the world are watching the "remarkable transformation" that is going on in China.

She said the United States is ready to join hands with China in exploring new cooperation fields and to further boost their relations.

China is the last leg of Rice's Asian tour, which has already taken her to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Japan and the Republic of Korea.