Taiwanese should jointly strengthen cross-Strait ties: KMT chief

Eric Chu, chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, on Wednesday called on people in the island to jointly promote sustained development of cross-Strait relations.

The two sides across the Taiwan Strait have reconciled and maintained peace, said Chu at a meeting of the party's Central Standing Committee.

Chu, who concluded a mainland visit earlier this week, said the KMT is bringing Taiwan into an era featuring cross-Strait win-win cooperation.

A responsible political party should have a definite policy concerning cross-Strait ties, and "empty talk about maintaining the status quo will not fool anyone", said Chu, referring to remarks by Taiwan opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chair Tsai Ing-wen.

Tsai said at a meeting last month that the DPP handled the cross-Strait relationship under the basic principle of maintaining a status quo characterized by peace and stability.

Chu said cross-Strait relations are not confined to ties between the KMT and the Communist Party of China (CPC), that other political parties are welcome to participate in cross-Strait exchanges, and that all political parties and people should jointly promote development of cross-Strait relations.

He also expressed hope that the dividends of peaceful cross-Strait exchanges could be enjoyed by all in Taiwan.

During his mainland visit from Saturday to Monday, Chu attended the 10th Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum in Shanghai and met with Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in Beijing. Endi