Trade Unions pledge to promote reunification
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-05-19 17:00

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) expressed Wednesday its support for the May 17 statement on the cross-Straits relations by the central authorities and pledged to be devoted into the reunification endeavor.

"We fully supports the statement on the current cross-Strait relations made by the Taiwan Work Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council," said Zhang Junjiu, vice president of the ACFTU.

Zhang depicted the May 17 statement a comprehensive presentation of the wills of workers and trade union staff members all over China.

"China's working class has long yearned for the reunification of the two sides across the Straits. But the reckless separative activities instigated by the Taiwan leaders since the 1990s, especially Chen's stubborn insistence on separatism and denial of the one-China principle after he held power, have added instability to the cross-Straits relations and undermined the interests of the island people," Zhang said.

He warned that Chen's provocative timetable to move the island to independence through making a new constitution would push the cross-Straits relations to the brink of danger.

He said that exchanges between trade unions and working classes across the Straits were expanding in recent years, with more colorful contents and deeper friendship involved.

"We feel that today's Taiwan compatriots wish more for peace, development and stability. They have never been so anxious to improve and develop the cross-Straits relations as nowadays," Zhang said.

He expressed the belief that forces supporting reunification would keep growing in the island and admonished Taiwan authorities to give up the conspiracy of "seeking independence", saying trade unions along with employees all over China would contribute to the fight for reunification.

Giving a summary of the present cross-Straits relations, the May 17 statement exposed Chen Shui-bian's true nature of seeking " Taiwan independence", spelled out the most urgent tasks of the Taiwan issue, reiterated the central government's one-China principle and reunification stance, and stressed its resolution to safeguard China's sovereign and territorial integrity and to smash up the separative activities.

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