Peace agreement with Taipei urged

In the report, Hu proposed for the establishment of a peace agreement with Taipei while calling for a formal end to the state of hostility across the Taiwan Straits since the Civil War ended in 1949.

Hu said the mainland "is ready to conduct exchanges, dialogue, consultations and negotiations with any political party in Taiwan on any issue, as long as it recognizes that both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same China."

Hu said in his keynote speech that reunification of Taiwan with the mainland is the historical necessity of China's rejuvenation drive. He noted that any issues, that relate to China's sovereignty and territorial unity, must be decided by the 1.3 billion Chinese people including the 23 million living on the Taiwan island.

On the basis of the one-China principle, "Let us discuss a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides, reach a peace agreement, construct a framework for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and thus usher in a new phase of peaceful development," said Hu, 64, who is also president of the country.

He made the solemn call in his political report to the twice-a-decade National Congress of the CPC, which opened Monday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The meeting is considered the most important as it will chart major policy guidelines and future development plans for China, now one of the world's fastest growing economies.

It is the first time that the CPC Central Committee has officially called for the establishment of a peace agreement between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in its political report.

Hu once made the call during his talks with Lien Chan, former chairman of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (or Nationalist Party), when Lien visited the mainland in 2005.

Stressing that it is a common aspiration of all people of the Chinese nation to resolve the Taiwan question and achieve complete national reunification, Hu also reiterated that the country will never waver in commitment to the one-China principle, never abandon the efforts to achieve peaceful reunification, never change the policy of placing hopes on the people in Taiwan and never compromise in opposition to the secessionist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence."

Hu also vows to make every effort with the utmost sincerity to achieve peaceful reunification of the two sides, and will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from the motherland in any name or by any means.

Hu pledges that CPC will sincerely work for the well-being of the compatriots on both sides of the Straits and for peace in the Taiwan Straits region, and safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation.

Specifically, Hu said the that the mainland will continue to implement and enrich the policies and measures that benefit the Taiwan compatriots, protect their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law and support economic development on the west shore of the Straits in Fujian Province and in other areas where Taiwan investment is concentrated.

Statistics show that there are currently about 1.3 million Taiwan people living and working in the mainland.