US does not support 'Tibet independence': Kerry

BELGRADE - The United States maintains that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and does not support the independence of Tibet, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday.

During a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Kerry said the U.S. policy on the Tibet issue remains unchanged and will not change.

Wang, for his part, reiterated China's principled position on the issue of Tibet, urging the U.S. side to refrain from interfering in China's domestic affairs, and take practical actions to safeguard the overall China-U.S. relations.

Kerry hailed the success of the recent U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogues and U.S.-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, which were held in Beijing earlier this month.

The United States stands ready to further push forward U.S.-China relations, Kerry said.

Wang said the latest round of China-U.S. dialogue was successful thanks to the joint efforts by both the Chinese and U.S. sides.

The recent dialogue has sent clear signals that both sides are committed to building a new type of major-country relationship, which will create favorable conditions for the further healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations, Wang said.