Peaceful development

Kinmen, a small island off Taiwan that was a battleground between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) in the 1940s, is today a stopover for cross-Strait transport and a major tourist destination for mainland visitors.

On Jan. 1, 1979, the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee issued the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan," for the first time proposing an end to the military confrontation across the Taiwan Strait through dialogue and enhanced exchanges.

The Chinese leadership has been adhering to the basic principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" in developing the policy to resolve the Taiwan issue.

Relations have gradually evolved from long isolation and rivalry towards peaceful and stable development with more frequent exchanges and dialogue.

The Taiwan authority decided to allow civilians to visit relatives on the mainland in October 1987.

In November 1987, the mainland issued its first travel document to a Taiwan resident.

In November 1992, the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) reached what was called the "1992 Consensus" in Hong Kong. It states that both sides will adhere to the "one China" principle.

In Singapore in April 1993, ARATS president Wang Daohan and SEF chairman Koo Chen-fu held the first public meeting between leaders of the two organizations.

In May 2008, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao met in Beijing with KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung from Taiwan, which accelerated the resumption of talks between the ARATS and SEF, which were suspended nine years before.

In three rounds of talks from June 2008, the ARATS and the SEF signed agreements on tourism, direct shipping, air transport, postal services, food safety, regular flights, cooperation in finance and fighting crime.

On Dec. 15, 2008, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services, ending the decades-old practice that air and sea movements, including mail, had to go by way of a third place, usually Hong Kong or Macao.

Cross-Strait ties are seeing unprecedented cultural exchanges, economic ties and mutual benefit for people on both sides.

At the end of 2008, the trade volume between the two sides exceeded 857 billion U.S. dollars. By June 2009, Taiwan people had made 51.4 million visits to the mainland, and mainland visits to Taiwan topped 450,000 by September.

These developments, however, were hard-won.

Former Taiwan leaders Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian, advocates of "Taiwan independence," frequently pushed relations to breaking point during their combined 20 years in power.

The CPC and the Chinese government have resolutely opposed Taiwan independence activities.

The NPC ratified the Anti-Secession Law in March 2005, setting a legal framework to prevent Taiwan's secession from China and to promote peaceful national reunification.

According to the Anti-Secession Law, China would use "non-peaceful means and other necessary measures" to stop independence should all efforts for peaceful reunification prove futile.

On Dec. 31 last year, Hu offered six proposals to promote the peaceful development of the relationship in a speech to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the publication of the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan."

The mainland was willing to discuss with Taiwan arrangements for Taiwan's participation in activities of international organizations, as long as this did not create a scenario of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," he said.

With the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" as common ground, the historic changes in cross-Strait relations and breakthroughs made through negotiations and talks are attributed to both the CPC and KMT's respect for history, reality and the people's wishes.