Background: Dev´t of exchange channels between CPC, KMT

Source: CCTV.com | 12-15-2008 09:45

Relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have warmed up in recent years with more exchanges unfolding across the Taiwan Straits. The motivation behind the improvement has been the Chinese Communist Party, and the Taiwan-based Chinese Kuomingtang, or the Nationalist Party. Once rivals, now friends. The two parties are working on a new platform for cooperation across the Straits.

April 2nd, 2005, a landmark handshake between the mainland and Taiwan, as top leaders of the two parties met for the first time in nearly six decades.

Cross-Straits ties were in a stalemate, as the then Taiwan leader, Chen Shui-bian, attempted to draw Taiwan away from China. General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Hu Jintao, and Kuomingtang Chairman, Lien chan, decided to open a new channel for broader exchanges across the Straits, based on the two parties common wish for peace and cooperation.

The first connection was more than just hospitality, as the two parties reached actual deals on the push for progress in various fields. Among them, the three direct links and charter flights. And this was just the beginning.

One year later in 2006, business leaders across the Straits gathered in Beijing for their first Economic and Trade Forum, organized by the CPC and the Kuomingtang.

The mainland announced a package of 15 beneficial polices concerning trade, education and medical services. Favorable measures such as adopting zero-tax on imported Taiwan fruit and vegetables gained support from Taiwan farmers.

More cooperation in agriculture was promoted in late 2006 at the Cross-Straits Agriculture Forum. Joined by both parties and Taiwan business leaders, the forum encouraged broader cooperation in agriculture from planting to sale.

Charter flights and the opening of Taiwan to mainland tourists topped the agenda of the Third Cross Straits Forum in April, 2007. Although the Kuomintang was not the ruling party in Taiwan, the exchange mechanism was set up with the CPC. The Third Cross-Straits Forum did much for cross-straits ties.

And the Party-to-Party exchanges have gotten even closer after Ma Ying-joeu took office as Taiwan leader and Kuomintang became a ruling party this May. Cross-Straits exchanges have ballooned since then, with moves like direct charter flights and increased tourism being realized one by one.

Only several days after the hand-over of Taiwan authority,new Kuomintang Chairman, Wu Poh-hsiung, visited Beijing, and met with CPC leader Hu Jintao. The visit this time was seen as "the sunshine after rain storm", and paved the way for the following talks between the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait and the Taiwan-based Strait Exchange Foundation.

Although other channels for exchanges across the Straits have been reopened, the channels explored by the CPC and the Kuomintang remain active and effective.

The two parties have even exchanged views during an international occasion. At this year's Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Peru, Hu Jintao and Lien Chan met for the fifth time. They agreed to join hands in combating the global financial turmoil, and to further trade and economic cooperation.

Editor:Xiong Qu