On April 30, 2002, Vice President Hu Jintao met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Powell said the United States attaches great importance to the U.S.-China relations and the visit by Vice President Hu Jintao has offered a major opportunity for increasing mutual understanding and promoting the relations between the two countries. It is of vital importance for the two nations to keep high-level contacts on the bilateral ties as well as on major regional and world issues. The two countries have enjoyed good cooperation in fighting against terrorism and in fields such as trade, economy and science and there is more room for further cooperation between the two countries.

Hu said the development of Sino-U.S. relations has gained momentum since President Jiang Zemin and President George W. Bush met in Shanghai and Beijing. China attaches great importance to the development of Sino-U.S. relationship and it is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples to develop healthy and stable relations between the two countries and is also conducive to the peace, stability and development of the world.

However, Hu pointed out that the Sino-U.S. relationship has recently suffered some disturbances, mainly concerning the Taiwan issue, the most important and sensitive issue in the Sino-U.S. relations. The U.S. side should adhere to the One China policy, abide by the principles of the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and take concrete measures to safeguard the overall interests of China-U.S. relations so as not to damage the sound development of bilateral relationship.

Powell said the U.S. side understands the importance China has attached to the Taiwan issue, and its high sensitivity to the Chinese government and people. Abiding by the three U.S.-China joint communiques and the One China policy has for a long time been embodied in the U.S. policy toward China. The two sides also exchanged views on developing bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade and economy and broadening exchanges between the two sides in other areas as well as on regional and world issues of common interest.

On the same day, Hu also met U.S. Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill and Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans.