Chinese ambassador to the United States Yang Jiechi said in Washington Thursday that the China-US relationship continued to see improvement and development over the past year.  

In 2003, the two meetings between Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush, as well as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to the United States were very successful, Yang said.

They were of great significance in pushing forward the relationship of constructive cooperation between the two countries, Yang said at a reception at the Chinese embassy in the United States to mark the coming Chinese Spring Festival.

The development of Sino-US relations not only brings tangible benefits to the people of both nations, but also contributes to peace, stability and development in the region and world at large, the ambassador said.

"We believe that with their joint efforts, China and the United States will further strengthen their exchanges and cooperation in such fields as anti-terrorism, economy, education, science and technology, as well as culture and the military, and the bilateral relations will witness new improvement and development," he added.

Yang went on to say the realization of a complete reunification of the motherland conformed to the common interests of the entire Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots. It is the common aspirations of all the overseas Chinese, and also an unshakable will and resolve of the Chinese government.

He said China would continue to adhere to the basic principles of "peaceful reunification," and "one country and two systems," as well as the eight-point proposal on developing cross-straits relations and advancing the process of peaceful national reunification from the present stage to step up personnel exchanges and promote economic, cultural and other interflows across the straits.

"With the greatest sincerity, we will do our best to realize the peaceful reunification of the motherland. We are resolutely opposed to splittist activities in any form for 'Taiwan independence' and will never allow anybody to separate Taiwan from China in any way," noted Yang.

More than 500 American Chinese, overseas Chinese and Chinese students in the United States attended the reception. The Spring Festival falls on Jan. 22.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2004)