BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- A meeting commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the Shanghai Communique between China and the United States was held Friday in the Chinese capital.

    Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said the communique, signed on Feb. 28, 1972, put an end to 23 years of mutual estrangement between China and the United States, and opened the door for renewed exchanges, exerting a profound impact on bilateral ties and world affairs.

    The Shanghai Communique laid down basic guiding principles for dealing with bilateral relations, Tang said. They require all nations, regardless of their social systems, should conduct themselves in line with principles of respecting other countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in others' internal affairs, equality and reciprocity,and peaceful co-existence.

    Tang said the communique also stated that the United States acknowledged there was only one China, and that Taiwan was a part of China. These principles were subsequently reaffirmed and expanded in the communique on the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations and the "August 17" communique.

    The three joint communiques, together, formed the political basis of China-US relations, and provided a guideline for the development of their ties.

    Tang said the core of the three joint communiques was the "one-China" principle, and the Taiwan question was and remained the most important and most sensitive issue at the heart of China-US relations, and a proper handling of the question had always been the key to a stable and growing relationship between China and theUnited States.

    "Peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" were China's fundamental principles to resolve the Taiwan issue, for which the Chinese government and people had made unremitting efforts, he said.

    Tang said the separatist forces in Taiwan had, however, turned their backs on the fundamental interests of the Taiwan people and the common well-being of the people across the Taiwan Straits by constantly pushing for independence, erecting one barrier after another to cross-Straits relations and creating endless obstacles to peace across the Taiwan Straits.

    In recent years, the leader of the Taiwan authorities abandoned the "one-China" principle, promoted separatist slogans such as "one country on each side" and aggressively pursued "incremental Taiwan independence", even to the point of setting a timetable toward independence through "referendum" and "constitution-making".While claiming the "referendum" was a deepening of Taiwan's democracy and would secure peace in Taiwan, he had gone out of hisway to instigate clashes between people of different provincial origins on the island and provoke confrontation across the Straits.

    Tang said facts had proved that the "referendum" that the leader of the Taiwan authorities launched unilaterally had nothing to do with democracy, nor would it serve peace on the island. It could only aggravate the divisions and turbulence in Taiwan and lead to tensions across the Straits.

    He said such a provocative action was bound to meet widespread opposition from the people across the Straits and the international community at large.

    Attempts at "Taiwan independence" posed the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, Tang said. "We hope the US side will stick to the 'one-China' policy, abide by the principles in the three joint communiques, oppose 'Taiwan independence', and uphold its stated position on the issue of Taiwan's 'referendum' so as to safeguard the common interests of China and the United States and maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

    "I believe so long as China and the United States set themselves to view and handle their relations from a long-term strategic perspective, adhere to the principles of the three jointcommuniques, work hard to expand their common interests and properly handle their differences, especially the Taiwan question,China-US relations will move along the track of constructive cooperation," Tang said.

    US Ambassador to China Clark Randt, and Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the event's host, also spoke at the meeting.