BEIJING, Dec 21: Chinese President Hu Jintao said in a telephone conversation with his US counterpart, George W. Bush, that his government would never tolerate an independent Taiwan, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.

Bush assured Hu in Saturday night’s conversation that Washington was against any one-sided change in the status quo on Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province.

Although Washington is Taiwan’s greatest ally and defence supplier and US-Sino relations are continually tense over ideological and human-rights issues as well as Taiwan, the US recognizes Beijing as the capital of China.

Hu said, however, that China would seek a peaceful reunification with the island.

“The Chinese government is willing to achieve the reunification peacefully with its utmost sincerity and greatest efforts,” Hu was quoted by Xinhua as saying, “but Taiwan’s independence will definitely not be tolerated.”

During their telephone call, the two presidents also discussed Iraq and North Korea’s nuclear programme.

Hu assured Bush that China would keep in close contact with all affected parties on the North Korea question with the aim of holding a new round of six-nation talks as soon as possible, Xinhua said.

The mediators in the talks involving China, the US, North and South Korea, Japan and Russia are looking for a second round could be held in January or February. The first round in August achieved no discernible progress. The top points of contention are North Korea’s demands for security guarantees from the US and Washington’s demands for inspections to verify an end to Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

Hu also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

On Iraq, Hu said China was “ready to maintain contact and coordination with relevant parties on the reconstruction”. —dpa