On May 1, 2002, Vice President Hu Jintao held talks with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney at the White House.

Cheney, welcoming Hu's visit, said the United States attaches great importance to maintaining the momentum of high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Hu thanked Cheney for his invitation and the warm reception of the U.S. Government and people. He said that his visit is aimed at implementing, together with the U.S. side, the consensus reached by President Jiang Zemin and President George W. Bush at their summit in Beijing and maintaining the momentum of high-level strategic dialogue and exchange, so as to enhance mutual understanding and trust, and promote the development of the constructive and cooperative relationship between the two countries.

Hu said China highly values President Bush's February visit to China, noting the two countries have made progress recently in such areas as anti-terrorism, economy and trade, technology, energy, environmental protection, as well as in consultation and cooperation on major international and regional issues. The two countries have encountered some problems in their relations. These problems, however, have highlighted the necessity of enhanced dialogue and contact and frank exchange of views between leaders of the two countries.

Hu believed that the upcoming visit by President Jiang to the United States this fall at the invitation of President Bush will be of great importance to further promoting bilateral relations. He invited Cheney to visit China at a time he thinks convenient.

Cheney described as successful President Bush's meetings with President Jiang during his two visits to China, saying President Bush looks forward to meeting President Jiang again. Cheney noted that he had witnessed great changes taking place in China during his every visit since his first trip to China in 1975, when he accompanied President Gerald Ford on the latter's visit to China. He looks forward to visiting China again in the near future.

Hu stressed that the question of Taiwan is of utmost concern to China. It bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the stability and development of the Sino-U.S. relations. The Chinese government has always adhered to the guiding principle of Peaceful Reunification and One Country, Two Systems and President Jiang's Eight-Point Statement on the Taiwan issue. We maintain that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits should resume dialogue and negotiation and open up the Three Direct Links (trade, mail, air and shipping services) as soon as possible under the principle of One China. As the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are all Chinese, we are more eager than anyone else in the world to resolve the Taiwan issue in a peaceful way. However, we will never tolerate either the "independence of Taiwan" or any damage to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Hu pointed out that the "Taiwan independence" forces constitute the biggest obstacle to the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue and its separatist activities pose the most serious threat to peace across the Taiwan Straits. If the "Taiwan independence" forces develop unrestrained, it would bring about catastrophic consequences and would harm not only the interests of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits but also those of the United States eventually. Hu expressed the hope that the U.S. side abide by the One-China policy and the principles in the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques and avoid sending wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" force. He said the U.S. side should proceed from a broad view of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and the development of the Sino-U.S. relations and play a constructive role in China's peaceful reunification process.

Cheney said that the Bush administration adheres to the One China policy and abides by the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, adding that it neither supports "Taiwan independence" nor encourages the development of the "Taiwan independence" forces. The U.S. hopes the Taiwan issue will be resolved in a peaceful way.

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on such issues as anti-terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and mutually beneficial cooperation in economy and trade.