Jia Qinglin (1st R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with heads of the delegations of Taichung City and Taichung, Changhua and Nantou counties of southeast China's Taiwan Province, in Beijing, capital of China, on June 27, 2009. [Xinhua]

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), had a meeting here with heads of the delegations of Taichung City and Taichung, Changhua and Nantou counties of Taiwan on Saturday.

On the same day, the CPPCC leader also paid a visit to an exhibition of farm produce and tourist attractions from these four areas of central Taiwan, at its opening day.

In his talks with the Taiwan visitors, Jia welcomed the four Taiwan areas to jointly hold the exhibition in Beijing.

Since May last year, when the situation in Taiwan experienced a major positive change, the two sides have taken the rare opportunities and adopted a series of positive measures to promote cross-strait relations and made breakthroughs. Cross-Straits relations now exhibit a bright future of peaceful development, said Jia.

In May last year, the Chinese Kuomintang Party (KMT) won in the island's elections.

More than ever, the Chinese compatriots living on both sides of the Taiwan Straits need to join hands to get over difficulties at a time when the impact of the global financial crisis still persists and the economic growth of the world is noticeably slowing down, said Jia, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's Political Bureau.

The mainland side is willing to do its best to strengthen cross-straits cooperation, in an attempt to assist Taiwan in getting over the difficulties brought about the global financial crisis, Jia said.

The mainland has issued over 70 policies and measures, including those on farm produce and tourism, in favor of Taiwan compatriots and to deepen cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, according to the top political advisor.

He hoped that the compatriots of the two sides could jointly explore the road towards peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, share the achievements, jointly carry forward the common culture and heritage that are of the same root, and make joint efforts for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Also Present at the meeting were Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong, President of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chen Yunlin, Executive Deputy Director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office Zheng Lizhong, and Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Wan Jifei.

The exhibition was jointly sponsored by the four central Taiwan areas and Beijing.

Jia Qinglin (2nd L, front), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), visits an exhibition of farm produce and tourist attractions from Taichung City and Taichung, Changhua and Nantou counties of southeast China's Taiwan Province, in Beijing, capital of China, on June 27, 2009. [Xinhua]

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2009)