Symposium on cross-Straits relations ends

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-25 09:53

A symposium on relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan ended on Thursday, with its theme featuring the prospects of peaceful development between the two sides.

Nearly 100 scholars and experts attended the two-day seminar, which was jointly hosted by the mainland-based National Society of Taiwan Studies, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, and the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

More than 50 academic papers were submitted to the organizing committee and four influential experts made keynote speeches on Wednesday.

Cheng Siwei, president of the National Society of Taiwan Studies, said the seminar had served as an important platform for the scholars across the Taiwan Straits to exchange ideas, improve mutual understanding and reach consensus.

Cheng, former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature, urged in-depth discussion on the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relations and called for experts to provide valuable insights for the peaceful development of relations between the two sides.

To forge peaceful development of the two sides was in the common interests of the people across the Straits, he said.

Sun Yafu, vice director of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office also presented at the symposium.