The Guardian 7 May, 2008
Mainland China meets Taiwan
In a significant development Lien Chan, the honorary chairman of the Kuomintang Party (KMT), which recently won a resounding victory in elections in Taiwan, has paid a visit to mainland China. He met Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China who put forward four principles for the future relations between China and Taiwan. They were: "To build mutual trust, lay aside disputes, seek consensus while shelving differences, and create a win-win situation."
Hu called for substantial efforts for the welfare of Chinese compatriots on both sides, to seek peace across the Taiwan Strait and create a new situation for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
"The Chinese nationality will realise a bright future in its great rejuvenation," said Hu Jintao. The people of the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan share the same fate and belong to the same big family of the Chinese nationality, said Hu.
Lien agreed with Hu. He said the principles adopted at the KMT-CPC summit in 2005 were "of epoch-making importance" and have since been the guidelines for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.