Wen talks Taiwan on U.S. trip
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Wen met with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, left, in New York on Sunday.
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BEIJING, China -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has met U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on day one of his first official visit to the United States.
Arriving Sunday in snow-swept New York for his four-day trip, Wen met with Annan and later answered questions on Taiwan at a media conference.
Speaking to reporters, Wen reiterated the peaceful reunification of Taiwan and China under the "one country, two systems" principle.
Beijing has expressed mounting anger in recent weeks at what it says is a push by Taiwan's popularly elected president toward independence.
China and the self-ruled island split amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing claims it as Chinese territory.
While China understood the desire in Taiwan to move towards democracy, Wen said, it should not be used as "a cover to split Taiwan away from China and this is what we will never tolerate."
However, he stopped short of any military threat.
"So long as there is still a glimmer of hope," Wen said, "the Chinese government will not give up its efforts for peaceful reunification and for a peaceful settlement of the question."
Wen, who is perhaps the closest political ally of President Hu Jintao, is widely expected to urge the White House to come up with a clear-cut statement opposing Taiwan independence.
Wen, who is scheduled to meet President George W. Bush in Washington on Tuesday, is also likely to be looking for a pledge to scale down the sophistication of American arms being shipped to Taiwan.
The official Chinese media has in the past month blasted U.S. politicians who have been urging Taiwan to buy more American weapons.
Trade talk
Apart from Taiwan, a growing number of trade disputes between the two countries will also feature high on Wen's agenda.
Wen and trade officials accompanying him are said to be eager to work out a more long-term framework with Washington on settling trade disputes.
Washington accuses China of keeping its currency artificially weak, taking jobs away from American workers, and wants the market to set the yuan's value.
The United States is also pressuring China to free up its markets in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization.
For his part, Wen may persuade the United States not to set any more restrictions on Chinese imports.
Last month, Washington imposed quotas on Chinese textiles and set tariffs on televisions.
Wen may also argue that China is already boosting trade with America by signing deals with U.S. firms such as Boeing and Citibank.
In New York, Wen will visit the Stock Exchange and try to woo U.S. investors during talks with the American corporate community.
Wen will also visit Boston, then stop in Canada and Mexico before heading home.
The premier is expected to be one of the first overseas dignitaries to meet the new Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, whose swearing-in ceremonies are scheduled for December 12.
If successful, Wen's American tour will help consolidate China's one-year-old administration, which does not want trouble on the international or Taiwan fronts to distract it from the central task of economic development.
-- Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN Senior China Analyst, contributed to this report
