SINGAPORE, Jan. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Monday sent their deepest condolences to the family of Ku Chen-fu, Chairman of the Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Taiwan.

    In his letter to Ku's wife, Lee said that he had respected Ku for his balanced and realistic appraisal of cross-strait issues.

    "Over the years, Dr Ku played a valuable role in helping to stabilize cross-strait relations," Lee said.

    Meanwhile, in his letter, Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong described Ku as "an upright, sincere and thoughtful gentlemanwho cared for his friends."

    Goh added that Ku cared deeply about cross-strait peace and stability and for many years he had played a significant role in bringing both sides together.

    In April, 1993, Ku and Wang Daohan, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS),held first high-level non-governmental talks between the two sidesof the Strait in Singapore, known as Wang-Ku meeting.

    Ku, 87, died of renal failure in Taipei Monday morning.

    On Jan. 6, 1917, Ku, whose ancestral home was at Hui'an County,Fujian Province of southeast China, was born in Taiwan Zhanghua County.

    In October, 1990, when SEF was founded, Ku was appointed as SEF's chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Enditem