President Hu calls for peaceful reunification
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-02 07:28

President Hu Jintao yesterday called on all the Chinese people both at home and abroad to join hands in the fight against "Taiwan independence" forces and work for the peaceful reunification of the motherland.

Chinese president Hu Jintao shakes hands with a New Year's tea party attendee Sunday in Beijing. [Xinhua]

"The complete reunification of the motherland is the common will of the Chinese people and inevitable in the historical development," Hu said at a New Year's tea party attended by members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a major government think-tank.

"We will adhere to the fundamental policy of peaceful reunification and 'one country, two systems,' never waver on adhering to the one-China principle, never give up efforts on promoting peaceful reunification, never change the policy of pinning hope on Taiwan people, and never compromise on opposing 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities," Hu said.

The mainland will actively promote exchanges and co-operation across the Taiwan Straits in tourism, economic and cultural fields, safeguard the legitimate interests of Taiwan compatriots, oppose separating Taiwan from the mainland, promote peace and stability across the Straits, resume the cross-Straits dialogue based on the 1992 Consensus and push ahead with the great cause of peaceful reunification, he said.

Peaceful development

Hu also reiterated China's strong commitment to peaceful development in his New Year's address broadcast on Saturday to domestic and overseas audiences via State TV and radio stations.

In the address, broadcast by China Radio International, China National Radio and China Central Television, Hu talked about domestic economic and social development in 2006 and policies toward Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

"The Chinese people will develop ourselves by means of striving for a peaceful international environment, and promote world peace with our own development," Hu said.

He said the Chinese people are willing to join with peoples of all nations in the world to promote multilateralism, advance the development of economic globalization toward common prosperity, advocate democracy in international relations, respect the diversity of the world and push for the establishment of a new international political and economic order that is just and rational.

He pledged that China will adhere to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world, continue to improve the investment environment and open the market, carry out international co-operation in a wide range of areas, and seek to attain mutual benefits and win-win results with all other countries in the world.

He mentioned, in particular, that China will do its best to help developing countries accelerate development and help people suffering from war, poverty, illnesses and natural calamities in the world.

On the domestic front, Hu said China will strive to achieve fast and sound economic and social development and enable all people to enjoy the fruit of reform and development in 2006.

The country will continue to make the "scientific concept of development" the general guideline of the overall economic and social development in 2006, the first year of China's 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10).

(China Daily 01/02/2006 page1)