Chinese mainland to seize opportunity to promote cross-Straits peaceful development: official

BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Chinese media) -- 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 Jan. 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".

President Hu offers six proposals for peaceful development of cross-Strait relationship

The President's speech on the new year's eve came after the mainland and Taiwan realized historical direct links of transport, trade and post services.

Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, sent a message in his speech which urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to "clearly understand the situation and stop secessionist activities". Full story

Chinese President Hu Jintao addresses a ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the announcement of Message to Compatriots in Taiwan, held in Beijing, capital of China, on Dec. 31, 2008. The Chinese mainland commemorated the 30th anniversary of the announcement of Message to Compatriots in Taiwan here Wednesday with a ceremony. (Chinese media Photo)
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Mainland commemorates major policy change on Taiwan 30 years ago

BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Chinese media) -- The Chinese mainland commemorated the 30th anniversary of its "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan" here Wednesday with a ceremony attended by three top leaders, including President Hu Jintao.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, issued the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan" on Jan. 1, 1979. Full story

Chinese mainland announces ten measures for co-op with Taiwan

SHANGHAI, Dec. 21 (Chinese media) -- The Chinese mainland announced here on Sunday 10 measures of economic cooperation with Taiwan aimed at jointly coping with the global financial crisis.

The measures include the support for the development of Taiwanese-funded companies in the mainland, promotion of two-way investment and so on, said Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, at the conclusion of the 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum. Full story

Chinese mainland, Taiwan start direct links after 59 years

Passengers from southeast China's Taiwan gesture before boarding the plane at the airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 15, 2008. A Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taiwan at 7:20 Beijing Time (2320 GMT Dec. 14), the first when the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Chinese media Photo)
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BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Chinese media) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services on Monday amid warming ties, ending a 59-year ban on such links.

Formerly, air and sea movements -- including mail -- had to go by way of a third place.

The direct daily transport started as a mainland-based Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taipei at 7:20 a.m.(2320 GMT Sunday), which was followed by a Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways jetliner from Taipei to Shanghai. Full story

Mainland panda pair leave for Taiwan

Photo taken on Dec. 11, 2008 shows the giant Pandas Tuan Tuan (L) and Yuan Yuan, who will be sent to Taiwan, eat bamboos in a breeding base in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. This pair of giant pandas is scheduled to travel to the Taiwan island on Dec. 23. They are expected to meet the public at the Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar new year, but that will depend on how they adapt to the new environment.
(Chinese media Photo)
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YA'AN, Sichuan, Dec. 23 (Chinese media) -- A pair of giant pandas offered by the Chinese mainland to Taiwan left here Tuesday for the island.

The pandas left Ya'an, Sichuan, at around 8:20 a.m. in an enclosed truck. They would first be transported to Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu, about 120 km from Ya'an, and then be flown to Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon. Full story

Mainland, Taiwan hold economic, cultural forum

The 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum between the Chinese mainland and southeast China's Taiwan begins in Shanghai, east China, Dec. 20, 2008. (Chinese media Photo)
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SHANGHAI, Dec. 20 (Chinese media) -- The 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan began here Saturday morning.

Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, and Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and Honorary Chairman Lien Chan attended. Full story