The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) sent a
message yesterday congratulating the central committee of
Kuomintang and Chairman Lien Chan on convening its 16th
representatives' congress.
The CPC Central Committee said in the message that it hopes the
Kuomintang will keep its position of abiding by the one-China
principle, seeking reunification with the motherland and opposing
"Taiwan independence."
The CPC Central Committee also hopes that the Kuomintang will make
contributions to promoting relations across the Taiwan Straits.
Beijing has repeatedly stressed the importance of the one-China
principle in cross-Straits relations while pledging to implement
peaceful reunification and a "one country, two systems" program
when that occurs.
The KMT convention brought 2,001 people, including 1,467
representatives, in Taipei. Former Kuomintang chairman Lee Teng-hui
was not invited, according to a Xinhua report.
An
Agence France-Presse report said Lien, during the opening session
of the Kuomintang congress, urged the Taiwan authorities to improve
its relations with Beijing by accepting the one-China
principle.
And the Beijing-based China News Service reported that Lien
criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party for bringing
problems to cross-Straits relations since rising to power last
year.
Lien urged the Democratic Progressive Party government to conduct
political consultations with the mainland based on an agreement
reached between Taipei and Beijing in 1992.
The report also said that some Kuomintang members protested at the
site of yesterday's meeting, calling for the expulsion from the
party of Lee Teng-hui.
Lee was widely blamed for bringing down the KMT, Taiwan's ruling
party since 1949 until last year's election.
(China
Daily 07/30/2001)