Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met in Beijing
today with Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan.
After their brief meeting, they also met with participants
attending the 3rd Cross-Straits Economic, Trade, and Cultural
Forum at the Great Hall of the People, and Hu called for closer
personnel, economic, and cultural exchanges between the mainland
and Taiwan to curb Taiwan secessionist activities and maintain
peace across the Taiwan Straits.
Hu said the mainland's robust economic growth has offered more
opportunities, stronger impetus, and better conditions for
cross-Straits economic exchanges and cooperation.
"To promote economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation,
improve the well-being of the people across the Straits and boost
the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are the common will of
the people and the prevailing trend," Hu said.
Hu met Lien, then KMT chairman, for the first time in April
2005. The Hu-Lien meeting, hailed as monumental, was the first
meeting between top leaders of the two parties in 60 years.
Following the meeting, the two parties released a press
communiqué, which says that the two parties have reached a
five-point consensus for "promoting peace and development across
the Taiwan Straits."
Hu and Lien met again in April 2006, when Lien was in Beijing
for the first cross-Straits forum. Both of them underscored the
peaceful development of relations between the two sides.
Lien said the CPC and the KMT have jointly hosted a series of
forums and seminars on cross-Straits economic, cultural and
agricultural exchanges over the past two years.
He said the exchanges have helped improve the well-being of the
people across the Straits, especially the Taiwan compatriots.
The KMT will continue to work as a bridge to push forward the
cross-Straits relations through dialogues and consultations, said
Lien, when addressing the participants.
About 500 participants from the mainland and Taiwan are
attending the current cross-Straits forum, which opened in Beijing
today.
Participants will exchange views on issues including direct
flights and educational and tourism cooperation across the Taiwan
Straits.
(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2007)
