Mainland to promote cross-Straits peaceful development

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-02 09:30

BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland official in charge of Taiwan affairs said on Thursday that the mainland would seize "current opportunities" to promote the peaceful development across the Taiwan Straits, firmly safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity and "fundamental interest of the Chinese nation."

Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told a seminar that the mainland would spare no efforts to "create a framework for the cross-Strait peaceful development".

Wang said the spirit of President Hu Jintao's speech at Wednesday's ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the mainland's "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan" should be thoroughly implemented.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, issued the "Message" on January 1, 1979. In this statement, the mainland first proposed ending the military confrontation across the Taiwan Straits through dialogue and welcomed exchanges between the two sides.

Hu on Wednesday offered six proposals to promote the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relationship in his speech.

During the past three decades, the mainland's policy toward Taiwan has made new achievements, Wang told Thursday's seminar commemorating the "Message".

He said Hu's speech proposed a series of new policies in politics, economy, culture, society, overseas exchanges as well as military security which showed the mainland's sincerity and resolution to create benefits for people on both sides and peace for the region.

The spokesman for the Taiwan authority said on Thursday that Taiwan was willing to see the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

The Taiwan-based Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said the KMT was willing to see the implementation of Hu's speech and hoped to see "concrete outcomes" in "foreseeable future".