President pro tempore of the United States Senate Ted Stevens on Sunday left Kashi city in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, concluding his eight-day official goodwill visit to China.

Stevens' visit is of historical significance and it marked a new beginning of exchanges between China's National People's Congress and the US Senate, said Sheng Huaren, vice-chairman and secretary general of the NPC Standing Committee, who accompanied Stevens and his delegation in their visit to Xinjiang and Gansu Province, at the farewell banquet Sunday here.

Stevens said the US side attached great importance to the meetings with Chinese leaders and the working talks with the Chinese side.

The United States understands China's concern with the Taiwan issue, Stevens said, adding that the US side adheres to the "one-China" policy and the policy will not change.

This was the highest-ranking US congressional delegation to China in nearly seven years, and was an important high-level contact between China and the United States. The visit symbolizes the official commencement of the exchange mechanism between China's National People's Congress and the US Senate.

During his stay in Beijing, Stevens met with or held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, NPC Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao.

Stevens also held formal working talks with Sheng.

Stevens and his delegation arrived in Beijing on Aug. 1 at the invitation of Wu Bangguo.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2004)