Wang Daohan, president of the mainland-based Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Straits?(ARATS), met with
visiting?Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan and his
delegation in Shanghai on Monday.
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Wang thanked Lien for paying him a visit during the KMT
delegation's stay in Shanghai, and congratulated Lien on the
achievements made by the KMT delegation during its mainland
tour.
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"We have worked very hard over the past two decades to increase
people-to-people contacts and improve political relations across
the Taiwan Straits, in an effort to live up to the aspirations and
expectations of Chinese compatriots on both sides," Wang said. "In
doing so, we have always harbored the good will of improving and
pushing forward cross-Straits relations."
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Despite the political differences between the two sides across the
Straits, "we're all Chinese linked by the same blood and cultural
background," said Wang. "Therefore we should work together to
promote peace, development and cooperation in cross-Straits
relations, strive for a win-win situation and contribute to the
glorious future of the Chinese nation."
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Wang said the basis of his two meetings with Koo Chen-fu, late
chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF),
in1992 and 1998 respectively, was the "1992 Consensus", which
embodies the one-China principle. This is a fact that can be proved
by letters and telegrams exchanged between the ARATS and SEF, as
well as by reports of media organizations from both sides of the
Straits, he said.
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"The Taiwan side will be able to find proper solutions to all the
issues it is concerned about as long as the two sides can resume
talks on the basis of the '1992 Consensus'," said Wang, adding that
everything can be discussed in the talks.
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Wang also told Lien that the mainland was ready to join hands with
the KMT and any other political parties, groups and individuals in
Taiwan that endorse the "1992 Consensus" and oppose "Taiwan
independence", to promote the peaceful and steady development of
cross-Straits relations.
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The KMT delegation arrived in Shanghai on Sunday on the fourth and
final leg of its eight-day mainland tour.
(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2005)