On July 26, 2004, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Li Zhaoxing held a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell.

With regard to the Taiwan issue, Li Zhaoxing reiterated the principled stance of China. He stressed that national sovereignty and territorial integrity prevails over anything else, expressing the hope that the U.S. will match its commitment to adhering to the one-China policy with concrete deeds. Powell indicated that the U.S. will continue pursuing the one-China policy and will not support any action crafted to seek "Taiwan independence", saying that the U.S. will address issues related to Taiwan with caution.

In respect to the infringements upon human rights of the Chinese citizen Zhao Yan in the U.S., Li Zhaoxing said China demands that the U.S conduct an earnest and thorough investigation of the case immediately and bring the infringers to justice. Powell said that he would attend to the matter personally.

Powell briefed the Chinese side on the position of the U.S. on issues related to Sudan, expressing the hope that the UN Security Council will take concerted action in this regard. Li Zhaoxing said that China is very concerned with situation in the Darfur region of Sudan and hopes that the UN Security Council will listen more to the opinions of the Sudanese people, the African Union and the League of Arab States so that actions it takes can help resolve related issues properly.