By Xinhua
Washington : Sheng Huaren, vice-chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met US vice-president Dick Cheney in the White House and both sides agreed to further consolidate and deepen inter-parliamentary exchanges.
Sheng said Wednesday China attaches great importance to the Sino-US ties and has always been treating bilateral relationship from strategic and long-term perspectives.
Sheng said China was willing to continue to work with the US to implement consensus reached between Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush and to make joint efforts to ensure a sound and steady development of constructive bilateral cooperation.
The top Chinese lawmaker was leading an NPC delegation to attend the fourth meeting with the US Senate under a parliamentary exchange mechanism Tuesday and Wednesday.
Cheney, who is also president of the US Senate, spoke highly of the outcome of the fourth meeting between the NPC and the US Senate, saying that he will continue to support this important parliamentary exchange mechanism.
Sheng reaffirmed China's position on the Taiwan issue, noting that the current situation across the Taiwan Strait is very complicated and sensitive. He hoped that the US would stick to its commitments to China on the issue and firmly oppose and contain "Taiwan independence" to safeguard the overall bilateral relationship and maintain peace and stability across the strait.
Sheng also briefed Cheney on the positive outcome of the meeting between the lawmakers, saying that it is of great importance for the bilateral relationship to further consolidate and deepen substantial dialogues between lawmakers.
Noting that the US-China relations is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, Cheney stressed that the continuous development of the relationship is not only significant to the prosperity and stability of the two countries but also conducive to maintaining peace and stability in the world.
Cheney said the US understands the importance and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and will continue to handle it in accordance with the principles laid out in the three joint communiqués between the US and China.