First cross-Strait peace forum pools political wisdom (2)

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First cross-Strait peace forum pools political wisdom (2)

(Xinhua) 20:04, October 11, 2013

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While current cross-Strait forums mainly focus on economic, cultural and social issues, the peace forum's agenda includes complicated and sensitive cross-Strait issues involving political relations, external affairs, military security and the peace framework.

Kao Yu-jen, chairman of Taiwan's 21st Century Foundation, said during the forum that the "difficult things" to which "tackling easy things first and difficult things later" refers and "the disputes" to which the policy of "laying aside disputes" refers are in fact the longstanding cross-Strait political problems, which are the issues the forum aims to discuss.

The launching of the first cross-Strait peace forum shows both sides will gradually push forward the institutionalization of the peace framework, replace confrontation with equal consultation, and create a win-win situation through cooperation, he said.

Kao suggested establishing a permanent institution for the forum and setting up special research groups based on four major subjects so as to study and solve cross-Strait political problems one by one with an objective, reasonable and professional attitude.

The event features extensive representation as it has attracted participants with diversified stances and political backgrounds, according to Zhou Zhihuai, executive vice president of the National Society of Taiwan Studies (NSTS), the event's mainland organizer.

One of the forum's co-organizers is the Taiwan Brain Trust, which is widely believed to be a think tank serving the Pan-Green Coalition in the island.

During the two-day event, participants are expected to discuss matters such as cross-Strait political status, the one-China framework, reasonable arrangements for cross-Strait political relations, and interaction rules for non-government institutions in external affairs.

They will also exchange views on the meaning and content of a peace agreement and ways to carry it out, a military security confidence-building mechanism, and cooperation in maritime security and non-traditional security fields.

Organized by the mainland-based NSTS and Taiwan's 21st Century Foundation and co-organized by 12 other major think tanks from both sides, the two-day event, which features the theme of cross-Strait peace and mutual development, is being attended by about 120 experts and scholars, with about 60 from each side.

NSTS president Cheng Siwei said during the opening ceremony that holding such large-scale and specialized political dialogue is significant and represents a new starting point in the development of cross-Strait relations.

Though the forum is non-official in nature, it could help to deepen understanding and mutual trust, defuse suspicion, promote development of cross-Strait ties, and accumulate experiences and create conditions for launching formal cross-Strait political negotiations in the future, he said.