China reiterates opposition against Taiwan independence activities

BEIJING—The Chinese mainland will firmly carry out the policies and guidelines on Taiwan affairs set up by the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and resolutely oppose “Taiwan independence” activities, an official in charge of Taiwanese affairs said here Friday.
“The mainland will never allow anyone to make Taiwan secede from China in any name or by any means,” said Zheng Lizhong, executive deputy director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee.
He said the Chinese mainland would continue to promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and peaceful reunification.
“We will sincerely rally the Taiwan compatriots to strive together for the prosperity of the Chinese nation,” he said.
Zheng made the remarks when attending the meeting held by the Cross-Straits Relations Research Center on studying Chinese President Hu Jintao’s report to the 17th CPC National Congress.
More than 50 researchers on cross-Straits relations attended the symposium.
Chinese Presidents Hu Jintao said in the report that the forces for “Taiwan independence” were stepping up their secessionist activities, seriously jeopardizing the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.
“The mainland side is ready to conduct exchanges, dialogue, consultations and negotiations with any political party in Taiwan on any issue as long as it recognizes that both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same China,” he said.
He also proposed, on the basis of the one-China principle, to discuss with the Taiwan authorities on the formal ending to the state of hostility between the two sides, signing of a peace agreement and constructing a framework for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.
“We will make every effort to achieve anything that serves the interests of our Taiwan compatriots, contributes to the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan Straits region and facilitates peaceful national reunification,” he said.
With secessionist activities stepped up in Taiwan and cross-Straits relations in jeopardy at present, Hu Jintao in a keynote speech on Monday called for discussions with the Taiwan side for a formal end to the state of hostility and reach a peace agreement under the condition of one-China principle.
“Here we would like to make a solemn appeal: On the basis of the one-China principle, let us discuss a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides, reach a peace agreement, construct a framework for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and thus usher in a new phase of peaceful development,”Hu said in a report to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Delegates to the seven-day congress hailed the remarks as a guideline for the Chinese mainland’s work on cross-Straits relations over the next five years. They said that the speech reflects the continuous stance of the CPC Central Committee on cross-Straits ties and the Party’s tradition of seeking truth from facts and keeping up with the times.
Hu Jintao said the forces for “Taiwan independence” were stepping up their secessionist activities, seriously jeopardizing the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. “The mainlandside is ready to conduct exchanges, dialogue, consultations and negotiations with any political party in Taiwan on any issue as long as it recognizes that both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same China.”
“We will make every effort to achieve anything that serves the interests of our Taiwan compatriots, contributes to the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan Straits region, and facilitates peaceful national reunification,” he said.
Hu reiterated the Party’s long-time stance that the mainland side “will never waver in our commitment to the one-China principle, never abandon our efforts to achieve peaceful reunification, never change the policy of placing our hopes on the people in Taiwan and never compromise in our opposition to the secessionist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’.”
“China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division, and any matter in this regard must be decided by the entire Chinese people including our Taiwan compatriots,” he said.
“We are willing to make every effort with the utmost sincerity to achieve peaceful reunification of the two sides, and will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from the motherland in any name or by any means,” he said.
In the past five years leading up to the current CPC National Congress, political parties on both sides of the Taiwan Straits started communication, and the Anti-Secession Law was enacted to resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.