James Soong, chairman of the People First Party in
Taiwan, arrived in the Chinese mainland city of Shanghai Wednesday afternoon to
attend a non-governmental forum of elites.
|
Chen Yunlin (R), director of the Taiwan Work
Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, greets
James Soong, Chairman of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan, upon his
arrival at Pudong airport of Shanghai, Sept. 14,
2005.[Xinhua]
|
Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Central Committee and Luo Shiqian, deputy secretary of the Shanghai
Municipal Committee of the CPC, met Soong, other major PFP members and experts
from Taiwan at the Pudong Airport.
This trip to Shanghai, Soong said upon arriving at the airport,is not only
one of reconciliation, but also a trip of cooperation and economic and trade
exchanges.
He said Shanghai is an important base for Taiwan business people as the city
has risen to be a major economic and trade center in the world and the Yangtze
River Delta.
The upcoming first session of the non-governmental forum of elites from both
sides of the Taiwan Straits, which will formally open Thursday, is jointly
sponsored by the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Policy
Research Center of the PFP.
The forum is regarded as a major step in implementing the communique of talks
between General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao and PFP
Chairman James Soong in May.
James Soong,
Chairman of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan, delivers a speech upon
his arrival at Pudong airport of Shanghai, Sept. 14, 2005.
[Xinhua] |
Prior to his departure, Soong said in Taipei the forum aims to stabilize
relations across the Taiwan Straits and seek more peaceful and better lives for
the people. He will exchange views with the mainland side on cross-Strait
economic and trade development and direct air links.
Without a stable cross-Straits relations, said Soong, there will be no
sustained economic growth. Better lives, stable cross-Straits relations and
economic rejuvenation are in the best interest of the people.