State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said Wednesday that the international situation in the new century and the development of Sino-US relations have proved that the common interests between China and the US have increased continuously and the two countries enjoy a new opportunity of development.

Tang, who arrived in Washington on Tuesday for a visit, made the remarks in a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to a diplomatic source.

He said that cooperation is the mainstream though the two countries face some challenges that need to be handled properly.

Speaking highly of the progress made over the past years in bilateral ties, Tang said that the constructive relationship of cooperation between China and the US will continue to grow as long as the two sides actively implement the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, through increasing dialogue, building mutual trust, promoting cooperation and handling differences properly.

He said that the forthcoming mutual visits by heads of state of the two countries will be of great significance in pushing forward the healthy and smooth development of Sino-US relationship.

Tang said that it is in the interests of the two countries to oppose and contain the "Taiwan independence" force and maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, hoping that the US side will abide by its commitments it has made to China on the Taiwan issue.

Rice said that US-China relations are important and the US side will endeavor to make a success the mutual visits by heads of state of the two countries.

The US attaches importance to high-level exchanges and dialogue between the two countries, which is helpful for the two nations to have an in-depth exchange of views on major world and regional issues, Rice said.

She said that the US side will continue to abide by the one-China policy.

Tang and Rice also exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue  and expressed the hope that the on-going fourth round of six-party talks held in Beijing would make substantial progress.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2005)