WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush told Chinese President Hu Jintao Thursday he supports reunifying Taiwan with the mainland but warned against "any unilateral attempt" to do so, a White House spokesman said.
In a wide-ranging telephone conversation, Bush and Hu discussed the fate of Taiwan, China's exchange rate, as well as China's support for the multilateral effort to defuse the North Korea nuclear crisis, said Scott McClellan.
Bush "reiterated his opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and encouraged Beijing to look for opportunities for cross-strait dialogue," the spokesman told reporters.
The US leader also "reiterated his commitment to a one-China policy and the Taiwan Relations Act," the US law that requires Washington to sell weapons to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province.
On the North Korean nuclear issue, President Hu reiterated China's commitment to the six-party talks," McClellan told reporters.
"The leaders also discussed economic issues, including China's commitment to move firmly and steadily to a market-based flexible exchange rate," something sought by the United States, said McClellan.
Washington charges that the Chinese currency's dollar peg artificially weakens the cost of Chinese exports -- making them more competitive -- while increasing the cost of imported goods in China.