Hu Jintao (2nd R), general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and his wife Liu Yongqing (1st R) meets with Lien Chan (2nd L), the honorary chairman of Kuomintang (KMT), and his wife Lien Fang-yu, in Singapore Nov. 14, 2009.(Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Photo Gallery>>>

    SINGAPORE, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Lien Chan, honorary chairman of Kuomintang (KMT), here on Saturday.

    The two met on the sidelines of the 17th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting.

    Hu said: "We should continue to follow the approaches of putting aside difficult issues, and making economic issues the priority in advancing cross-Strait consultation, and strive to launch the consultation process for a cross-Strait economic cooperation framework agreement within this year."

    Both sides should also create favorable conditions for jointly making a breakthrough in the thorny political issues in the future, he said.

    The KMT honorary chairman said he shared Hu's views.

    With the deepening and expansion of cross-Strait economic cooperation, Lien hoped to speed up the consultation process for across-Strait economic cooperation framework agreement.

    During the meeting, Hu said he was pleased to meet Lien again and congratulated him on continuing to serve as the KMT honorary chairman.

    Hu said Lien had been following up and actively pushing forward cross-Strait ties. "We appreciate your clear-cut attitude in this regard," said Hu.

    Cross-Strait relations had witnessed important progress and a historic turning point recently, which served the common interests and aspirations of the compatriots across the Strait, and were also welcomed by the international community, he added.

    "At present, cross-Strait ties are facing an important and historic opportunity for development. We should firmly grasp the theme of peaceful development of cross-Strait ties, adhere to the correct direction, widen the development path, and open new prospects for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations," said Hu.

    He hoped the CPC and KMT, as well as both sides across the Taiwan Strait, would intensify exchanges and dialogue, enhance political mutual trust, and push forward cross-Strait ties for new progress.

    Lien said the two sides across the Taiwan Strait had achieved positive results in jointly countering the international financial crisis.

    He thanked again the people and various communities from the mainland for their kind assistance and donations after Typhoon Morok hit Taiwan.

    "We should value the cross-Strait mutual trust, and continue to accumulate and consolidate the mutual trust based on the 1992 Consensus, adhere to the peaceful development direction and jointly write down a new page in the history of the Chinese people," Lien said. 　

Hu Jintao meeting KMT honorary chairman "natural": spokesman

    BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland official on Taiwan affairs indirectly confirmed Wednesday a possible meeting between Hu Jintao and Kuomintang (KMT) honorary chairman Lien Chan in Singapore.

    Yang Yi, spokesman of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference that it would be "very natural" for Hu, as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC),to meet with Lien. Full story 


Special report: President Hu Visits Malaysia, Singapore, Attends APEC summit