CPPCC Vice-Chairman on Reunification of Motherland
BEIJING, September 16 (Xinhua) -- Jing Shuping, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the greatest wish for people of his generation is to witness the country's prosperity and reunification of the motherland.
Jing, who is in his 80s, said he hopes to see the reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in his lifetime. "The reunification of the motherland will be a high point for the whole Chinese nation," he said.
The reunification of the motherland is not only a major event for the country, Jing said, it is also important to his family, as his younger brother lives in Taiwan.
Jing reunited with his brother in Hong Kong in the 1980s after decades of separation.
Having led a delegation to Taiwan in 1996, Jing said the gap between the people across the straits has been narrowed in terms of people's living standards after 20 years' implementation of the reform and opening-up policy.
He believes that the "one country, two systems" policy is reasonable for Taiwan.
He said over 40,000 Taiwan companies have investment in inland areas and the cross-straits import and export volume has reached over 20 billion US dollars annually.
The early realization of direct exchanges of mail delivery, trade and air and shipping services will benefit people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, he noted.
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