Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the Chinese government's position on upholding the one-China principle "is rock firm and defies all challenges," and the Chinese people "will not sit by and do nothing faced with provocative activities aimed at splitting the country."

　　When the leadership of the Taiwan authorities wants to separate Taiwan from the Chinese territory, no Chinese will agree, and the Chinese people will pay any price to safeguard the unity of the motherland, Wen said.

　　The premier made the remarks during an interview given to Leonard Downie, executive editor of The Washington Post, in Beijing on Friday.

　　The Chinese premier will pay an official visit to the United States, Canada, Mexico and Ethiopia from December 7 to 16, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao announced yesterday.Wen said that the recent remarks and activities by the leader of the Taiwan authorities, especially their deliberate provocations on the referendum issue and writing a constitution, show clearly not only their obstinate clinging to national splittism but also their stepped-up efforts for "Taiwan independence."

　　The Chinese government's policy toward Taiwan is a clear-cut one. It is "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems," the premier said.

　　"We will not give up our efforts for a peaceful settlement of the question of Taiwan because a peaceful settlement is in the fundamental interests of all Chinese people, the Taiwan compatriots included. But we will not sit by and do nothing faced with provocative activities aimed at splitting the motherland," he said.

　　The premier hoped the US government will recognize the gravity and danger of the provocative remarks and actions taken by the leader of the Taiwan authorities that would undermine the prospects for peaceful reunification. He also hoped the US side would not send any wrong signals to Taiwan.

　　"We hope the US side would take practical measures that are conducive to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits," he added.

　　The Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive issue in the China-US relationship, said Wen, stressing, "So on the question of Taiwan, the US side must be very straightforward in adhering to the principles of the three Sino-US joint communiques and in opposing Taiwan independence."

　　The US must be crystal clear in opposing the use of a referendum or writing a constitution or all other tactics used by the leader of Taiwan authorities to pursue his separatist agenda. "This will fundamentally help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits," Wen said.

　　The Chinese premier also said that he hoped the textile issue between China and the United States could be properly tackled through consultation.Wen said he was "not only surprised, but also shocked" by the US

　　restrictive action on Chinese textiles.

　　"The Chinese people have been surprised and shocked for what the US has done," he said, adding this unilateral restrictive action, involving products only worth US-500 million and without any prior discussion with the Chinese government, seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.

　　He hoped that China and the US could establish a mechanism for regular coordination and cooperation to tackle problems that might come up.

　　"This will be one of the proposals I will bring to the US because I think such a mechanism would play a positive role in solving problems," he said.

　　Wen said the increase in China's export was mainly attributed to its abundant supply of competitive labor and he did not think the exchange rate of the Chinese currency was an important contributor to the trade imbalance between China and the United States.