Hu meets KMT honorary chairman on cross-Straits ties

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC shakes hand with Lien Chan,honorary chairman of the Kuomintang on the sidelines of the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic leaders' meeting.[Photo/Xinhua]

VLADIVOSTOK - The leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) Party met here Friday and pledged to further peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC and Lien Chan, honorary chairman of the KMT met on the sidelines of the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic leaders' meeting.

Hu said that most of the proposals outlined in the "shared vision" for the cross-Straits peaceful development, which was jointly issued by leaders of the two parties in 2005, had been fulfilled.

Peaceful development of cross-Straits ties, chosen by the CPC and KMT, was the right direction and had a bright future, Hu said, adding both sides needed to stick to this path in order to cement and deepen peaceful development of relations across the Straits and achieve the great revival of the Chinese nation.

During the meeting, Hu put forward a three-point proposal regarding consolidating and deepening peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

First, Hu said both sides should unswervingly stick to the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties, which served the common aspirations of the compatriots across the Straits, represented the overall interest of the Chinese nation and fit in with the trend of the times.

"We should adhere to the pragmatic road, keep on the right direction and strengthen institutionalized construction of the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties," the CPC leader said.

Secondly, the two sides should continuously consolidate the political foundation of the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, Hu said.

He said in recent years the two sides had set up a common political basis of opposing "Taiwan independence" and upholding the 1992 Consensus, which were the keys to keeping cross-Straits ties in the right direction.

Hu called on the two sides to increasingly enhance mutual trust, broaden consensus, and in particular, adhere to the one-China policy.

Third, the two sides should grasp the prospects of cross-Straits relations amid a changing world and national rejuvenation.

Hu said the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations formed a crucial part of the great revival of the Chinese nation and called on people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to work together to tackle all the challenges in the process of that revival.

As regards the economic situation of Taiwan, the CPC leader said the mainland always kept an eye on the island's economic development and was willing to enhance mutual beneficial cooperation to realize common development.

The mainland was ready to further participate in follow-up talks on implementing the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in order to bring new achievements to cross-Straits ties and new benefits to people on both sides of the Strait, Hu said.

The CPC leader also noted that since May 2008 cross-Straits ties have taken a historic upturn, leading to a series of crucial progress and a new landscape for peaceful development. He commended Lien for his historic contributions in that regard during the period.

Echoing Hu, Lien said, since the CPC and KMT leaders issued the "shared vision" for cross-Straits peaceful development in 2005, both sides had put aside differences, sought a win-win result and created a new stability on both sides of the Strait.

"Cross-Straits peaceful development is the right path that has yielded rich fruits," he said.

Lien said the 1992 Consensus served as the foundation of the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties and the one-China policy was the fundamental principle in dealing with cross-Straits affairs.

He voiced hope that both sides would further enhance mutual trust, strengthen cooperation, set a framework for peaceful and steady development of cross-Strait relations and launch peace forums.

Lien said he was looking forward to advancing and completing the ECFA follow-up negotiations and deepening cultural and education exchanges and cooperation in order to bring more benefits to the people on both sides of the Strait and create a bright future for the Chinese nation.