Cheney: US supports one-China policy

The United States supports the one-China policy, said Visiting US Vice President Dick Cheney Thursday in Shanghai.

During his speech at Fudan University, Cheney, in response to a related question, said the policy that the United States holds on Taiwan is consistent

Just as the US President Bush said, the United States supports one-China policy, based on the three US-China joint communiques.

He said they think one important thing is that discussions and dialogues should be held between Beijing and Taiwan.

Cheney said the United States opposes any unilateral actions to change the status quo.

The United States and China share more in common than differences and both peoples are benefitting from bilateral cooperation, said the US Vice President.

Cheney said the United States and China were once enemies in the Korean War half a century ago, and regarded each other as a threat. But things have changed.

The Americans have been impressed by China's achievements in the past few decades. The two countries share common interests andboth peoples will benefit from cooperation, especially in the economic field, he said.

Cheney said that parties to the six-party talks should cooperate closely and try their best to realize the goal ofbuilding a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through diplomatic means and negotiations.

He said a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula entails the nodding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for the complete,verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear facilities. The US side hopes the parties should work together to persuade the DPRK to reach the goal. He said the United States was"encouraged" by China's leading role in the field.

He said curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction is ofgreat urgency in the new century and the US side has no choice butpersist.

The United States is willing to work closely with the United Nations on the Iraqi reconstruction, and expects Iraq to draw up a constitution and hold the general election at an early date, said Cheney.

Cheney made the remarks when asked to comment on the UN's role in the Iraqi reconstruction in his speech to the faculty and students of the prestigious university.

He said Lakhdar Brahimi, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, has already arrived in Iraq, and is keeping extensive contacts with the coalition forces and the Iraqi representatives on establishing an interim government which will take over the political power as from June 30.

Cheney said the interim government will be responsible for governing the state till Iraq holds the general election next year.

He said Brahimi has actively participated in the work of makingup plans for the interim government as the UN representative. The United States expects the UN to play an advisory and guiding role in the Iraqi reconstruction work.

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