Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Beijing Monday held talks, exchanging views on issues of Taiwan, the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula , Iraq as well asanti-terrorism.

The Taiwan issue is always the biggest factor affecting the stable development of Sino-US relations, said Li, attributing the current severe situation across the Taiwan Straits to the gradual escalation of Chen Shui-bian's Taiwan independence separatist moves.

Li expressed hope that the United States will implement relevant promises and not break the one-China policy and the three joint communiques between China and the United States.

"This is vital for safeguarding the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits region as well as the development of Sino-US relations," he said.

The bilateral relations are at a crucial stage, said he, hoping the two sides will enhance dialogue and cooperation and handle properly the disputes so as to push forward the Sino-US constructive relations of cooperation.

Powell spoke highly of the US-Sino relations in recent four years. The US Administration valued the relations with China, because they directly influenced the stability in Asia and the world, he said.

The US Administration will continue to stick to the one-China policy on the basis of the US-Sino three joint communiques, and oppose any Taiwan authorities' effort aiming at Taiwan independence, he said.

"The Korean nuclear issue is complicated and demands patience, flexibility and congeniality from the parties concerned," said Li.

"We wish the US side would go further to adopt a flexible and practical attitude on the issue," said Li, "China will make efforts to persuade all parties concerned to seek a peaceful resolution of the issue through talks and push for a new round of six-party talks at the earliest date, in a bid to carry on the hard-earned peaceful discussion process."

Powell emphasized that the United States will make endeavors to explore ways of peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

He said that the United States appreciated the important role China has played in the Korean nuclear issue negotiations.

Apart from the Korean nuclear issue, Powell also included anti-terrorism, Iraq issues, Darfur disputes and APEC organization on the list of discussion.

Powell left Beijing for Seoul Monday afternoon to continue his Asian tour to the Republic of Korea.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2004)