Taiwan has urged the United States not to put Taiwan's interests at risk in its engagements with China, Taiwan's foreign ministry said Wednesday, ahead of a visit to the U.S. in January by Chinese President Hu Jintao. 'We have advised the U.S. not to jeopardize Taiwan's interests' in its dealings with China, Deputy Foreign Minister Shen Lyu-shun said in a meeting of the legislature's foreign and national defense committee. Taiwan has also requested an immediate briefing after Hu's visit to the U.S. and has asked to be informed ahead of time of important U.S.-China meetings in the future, Shen said. Legislators expressed disappointment over a joint statement issued last November by the U.S. and China during U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Beijing. In the statement, the two countries underscored 'the importance of the Taiwan issue in U.S.-China relations.' China further emphasized that 'the Taiwan issue concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, ' and expressed the hope that the U.S. would 'honor its relevant commitments and appreciate and support the Chinese side's position on this issue.' Referring to three communiques that the U.S. and China signed in 1972, 1979 and 1982 and which helped to normalize U.S.-China relations, Shen said a fourth communique was unlikely. 'But another joint statement is possible,' he said. Shen and Jason Yuan, Taiwan's representative to the U.S., both said that currently Taiwan-U.S. relations are 'the best in 60 years,' as described by former U.S. Ambassador to China Winston Lord. Taiwan's diplomats now have greater access to the U.S. executive and legislative branches as well as to important figures in the White House, Shen said. This can be attributed to President Ma Ying-jeou's 'surprise-free' approach, which has won praise in Washington and has helped to stabilize bilateral relations, he added. Yuan said the U.S. has briefed Taiwan on a scheduled visit to China by a delegation led by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg. In meetings scheduled for Dec. 14-17, the delegation is expected to discuss with China the North Korea issue and Hu's state visit to the U.S. in January, he said. The delegation includes Jeffrey Bader, National Security Council senior director for Asian affairs, and Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Yuan said. Yuan, who returned to Taiwan to report to the legislature, said that he was hopeful that next round of U.S.-Taiwan talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) would take place before the Lunar New Year next February. A visit to Taiwan by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also in the works, Yuan said. 