Hu said China and the United States had common strategic interests in opposing and containing "Taiwan independence" and safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

He voiced his appreciation for statements repeatedly made by President Bush and the US government on their adherence to the one-China policy, abidance of the three Sino-US joint communiques and opposition to "Taiwan independence."

Hu said China holds that the one-China principle is the basis for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and improving and developing cross-Strait relations.

China will, with utmost sincerity and endeavor, strive for a peaceful national reunification and will never tolerate "Taiwan independence," stressed the Chinese president.

Bush said the US government's position on the Taiwan question has not changed and the United States would stick to the one-China policy, understands China's concern on the issue and did not want to see unilateral actions taken by the Taiwan authorities in their bid to change the status quo across the strait hurting US-China relations.

Both sides agreed that in the current international situation, China and the United States had extensive common strategic interests and broad prospects for reciprocal cooperation.

They agreed that a sound bilateral relationship was of strategic significance for safeguarding and promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

They agreed to take bilateral relationship from a strategic height and long-term perspective and comprehensively advance bilateral constructive and cooperative relations in the 21st century so as to benefit the two peoples and other peoples around the world.

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