BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Jia Qinglin, a senior official
of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met here Thursday with Lien Chan,
chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, who is heading a high-level KMT
delegation from Taiwan on a historic visit to the mainland.
Jia, a member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, extended a warm
welcome to Lien and his entourage, and spoke highly of KMT's stand of endorsing
the '1992 consensus,' opposing 'Taiwan independence' and promoting the
development of cross-Straits relations.
"We also highly appreciate KMT's
efforts in safeguarding and striving for the welfare of the Taiwan compatriots,
and its pursuit of peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," said Jia.
Describing Lien's visit as an
important exchange and dialogue between the KMT and CPC, Jia said that the
scheduled talks between Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central
Committee, and Lien on Friday would be a historic meeting between top leaders of
the two parties.
The meeting, the first of its kind
in 60 years, "will be of major historic and practical significance", as the two
leaders will take this opportunity to promote peace and stability across the
Taiwan Straits and push forward cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, said
Jia.
According to Jia, Hu and Lien will
exchange their views on major issues concerning the improvement and development
of cross-Straits relations, as well as party-to-party exchanges between the CPC
and KMT, in an "extensive, in-depth and candid manner."
Jia recalled that during his
meeting with KMT Vice-Chairman Chiang Pin-kung, who headed the first KMT
delegation in 56 years to visit the mainland in March, he once cited a poem by
Lu Xun (1881-1936), one of the most famous contemporary Chinese writer, to
describe Lien's planned visit.
"Brothers are still brothers
despite all the quarrels and fights that have occurred between them, and their
hatred toward each other will be dispersed with one smile when they meet again,"
Jia quoted the poem again.
"I am looking forward to what was
written in the poem coming true in the relationship between the KMT and CPC,
marked by tomorrow's handshake between General Secretary Hu and Chairman Lien,"
he added.
Jia expressed his sincere hope
that the high-level talks between the two parties would "produce positive
results".
"We
believe that as long as the two parities sincerely safeguard the benefits of the
people across the Straits and strive for their welfare, they are representing
the correct choice of history, and are bound to win the approval and support of
the people across the Straits," he told Lien.