Symposium Statement Opposes Taiwan IndependenceA two-day symposium of Anti-Taiwan Independence and Promoting China's Reunification concluded Thursday in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city in Guangdong Province.The seven organizers of the symposium, including the Beijing- based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and Taiwan-based China Reunification League, expressed in a statement their strong will to fight against "Taiwan independence", their desire for peace and reunification of the nation. The statement stresses that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China, and that China's territorial and sovereignty integrity will not be severed. Any form of separatist activities goes against the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and the general wishes of people on both sides of the Straits. Separatist activities should be checked resolutely, as they will surely lead to tensions and crises in the cross-Straits relations and threaten the interests of people on both sides of the Straits. The statement notes that the one China principle represents the basis and prerequisite of the development of cross-Straits ties. It also forms the basis and prerequisite of China's peaceful reunification. To have dialogues and negotiations with the one China principle as the basis constitutes the only way for the realization of peace and reunification between the two sides on the Straits, it says. The document points out that the change of leaders in Taiwan does not mean that Taiwan has become independent or that the hostile status between the two sides on both sides of the Straits has come to an end. At present, the most important thing is to make the Taiwan authorities accept the one China principle and recognize Taiwan as part of China. Only in this way can relations between the two sides of the Straits be improved and bring about lasting peace in the Taiwan Straits. The statement stresses that the cross-Straits relations have entered a crucial stage and that the evolution of the relations, towards peace or towards war, has a direct bearing on the fundamental interests of people on both sides of the Straits and the Chinese nation. It calls on all organizations and people from all walks of life on both sides of the Straits to unite, resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" and separation, strive for the peaceful growth of cross-Straits relations and promote peaceful reunification. Fellow countrymen on both sides of the Straits should continuously push forward cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation, transportation and postal services between the two sides of the Straits for the benefit of the whole Chinese nation, the statement says. More than 200 noted figures from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan attended the two-day symposium, and had heated discussions on the present cross-Straits relations, the peaceful growth of relations and the promotion of China's eventual reunification. The participants expressed their strong opposition to "Taiwan independence" and sincere wishes for the eventual reunification of the motherland |
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