China's top political advisor calls for further promoting peaceful development between mainland, Taiwan

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin Wednesday called for continuous efforts to push forward peaceful development of relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Now is an important historical opportunity to further push forward peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, said Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau at a symposium held in Beijing.

Jia, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, urged relevant parties to continue to carry out the six proposals on the promotion of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations offered by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao on Dec. 31, 2008.

Hu offered the proposals in a speech to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the mainland's "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan".

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) issued the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan," which was published as a headline article in the People's Daily, on Jan. 1, 1979. It appealed for an end to hostile confrontation and tension across the Taiwan Straits.

Wang Yi, director of both the CPC Central Committee's Taiwan Work Office and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at the same symposium that "cross-Strait relations have embarked on the track of peaceful development in the past year based on historic transition already made."

Jia said that "as seen from the significant and positive changes in cross-Strait ties, peaceful development of cross-Strait relations accords with the common aspirations of compatriots on the two sides and has brought concrete benefits to them."

Jia called on the two sides to ceaselessly consolidate the political, material, cultural and social foundations for development of cross-Strait ties and continuously enhance integration of economy, culture, society and the people's thoughts.

The two sides should stick to the spirit of "building mutual trust, laying aside dispute, seeking consensus and shelving difference, and creating a win-win situation" to maintain sound exchanges, expand consensus and remove obstacles, he said.

The two sides should push forward development of cross-Strait relations and the process of cross-Strait consultations by continuing the progressive method of tackling easy things first, difficult things later; and economic affairs first, political affairs later, he said.

He said the mainland would do more good things for Taiwan compatriots so that more of them could enjoy the benefits of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

Jia said relevant parties should encourage more compatriots to take part in the cause of promoting peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and work for the well-being of people on both sides.