US President George W. Bush will welcome Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the White House on December 9th for talks on a full range of bilateral issues.  

Wen Jiabao said that he would urge the United States during his trip to deter Taiwan from adopting laws that could pave the way for a referendum on the island's independence.

Bush spokesperson Claire Buchan said President Bush looks forward to holding discussions with the Premier on a wide range of issues on the US-China agenda and he hopes to continue building a constructive and cooperative bilateral relationship.

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said he was looking forward to further discussions with Wen Jiabao regarding US opposition to Taiwan independence.

(CRI.com November 27, 2003)