In 2008, the Chinese mainland will make strong efforts to
achieve bright prospects for relations across the Taiwan Strait,
according to Chen Yunlin, a leading official in charge of
cross-strait affairs, in an article to be published in the year's
No.1 Issue of the Cross Strait Relations magazine.
This will be an extremely important year for Chinese living on
both sides of the Taiwan Strait, said Chen, director of the Taiwan
Affairs Offices of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) and of the State Council.
He blamed Taiwan authorities led by Chen Shui-bian for
challenging cross-strait peace by pushing forward the so-called
"Referendum" for "Taiwan's entry into the United Nations", which is
a major attempt by Taiwan's pro-independence forces to split
China.
The 1.3 billion Chinese on the mainland and the 23 million
Chinese in Taiwan not only share the same history and the same
roots but also the same interests that are closely linked and the
common expectation for peace and development, the official
said.
He pledged: "There's no power to split us two."
In 2008, the mainland will further encourage personnel, economic
and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, while continuing
and improving the existing policies and measures that have
benefited Taiwan compatriots, according to the mainland
official.
Chen said that the mainland was also looking forward to resuming
the cross-strait talks and negotiations to resolve or seek ways to
resolve all kinds of problems in the fields of economics, politics
and military.
The mainland has proposed that the two sides, based on the
one-China principle, hold negotiations on officially ceasing the
hostility across the strait, agree on peace and map out a framework
for peaceful development of the cross-strait relations, so as to
stride toward a new stage of peaceful development of cross-strait
relations, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2008)