Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, addresses the 4th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 17, 2012. The 4th Straits Forum was held in Xiamen on Sunday. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
XIAMEN -- China's top political advisor on Sunday addressed the fourth Straits Forum with a call for maintaining the good momentum of people-to-people exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.
Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said in a keynote speech at the event that cross-Strait exchanges have made great achievements in recent years.
He called for deepened people-to-people exchanges across the Strait to promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and expand people's welfare.
Cross-Strait ties have maintained development despite some twists and turns, as people-to-people exchanges have never been suspended, according to Jia. Expanding and deepening cross-Strait exchange is the best way to achieve mutual understanding, mutual learning and mutual benefits, he said.
"Identifying that both sides of the Strait belong to the Chinese nation, opposing 'Taiwan Independence' and supporting cross-Strait exchanges and equal consultations, have become the common sense of people across the Strait and the mainstream will of people in Taiwan," said Jia at the seven-day forum focusing on grass-roots exchanges.
"'Taiwan Independence' is at an impasse, and Taiwan's future lies in cross-Strait peaceful development and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," the political advisor added.
He called for continued promotion of mutual understanding, improved sense of unity and consolidated common sense of supporting the development of cross-Strait ties.
Jia also urged all walks of society from the two sides to establish extensive contact with each other to seek cooperation and improve people's welfare.
All localities and departments of the mainland should have a better understanding of the demands of grass-roots people in Taiwan, including mid- and small-sized enterprises, farmers and fishermen, Jia said, calling for expanding policies favorable to Taiwanese people amid the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.
The CPPCC National Committee chairman also called for paying more attention to improving the quality and level of cross-Strait exchanges, and responding to the demands of people from the grass-roots.
"Consolidating and deepening the peaceful development of cross-Strait relation is the shared responsibility of people from the two sides," said Jia.
Also at the forum, Wang Yi, director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, announced a package of policies covering the economy, culture, scientific research and employment, as well as entry and exit policies favorable to Taiwanese people.
Among the policies, Taiwan students who graduate from the mainland's colleges and other Taiwan residents can enjoy the same rights to work in mainland businesses as their mainland compatriots, Wang said, adding that mainland businesses can employ the Taiwan residents by themselves.
Taiwan students who graduate from the mainland's colleges and other Taiwan residents can be employed in public institutions through open recruitment in the new pilot regions of Tianjin, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Hubei in addition to the provinces of Fujian and Jiangsu, according to Wang.
Hung Hsiu-chu, vice chairwoman of Taiwan's ruling party Kuomintang, called for establishing a positive and benign development model for cross-Strait ties by solving problems with a pragmatic and rational attitude and honesty.
If we speak more words that are favorable to cross-Strait ties and do more things that can benefit both sides, we can establish a more positive and benign development model," she said.
The Straits Forum is the largest platform for mainland-Taiwan exchanges. Held from 16 to 22 June this year, it features cultural and economic exchanges, and grass-roots interactions among people from all walks of life.
Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, addresses the 4th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 17, 2012. The 4th Straits Forum was held in Xiamen on Sunday. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
