The 17th National Congress of the Kuomintang (KMT), or the
Nationalist Party of China, concluded Saturday afternoon in Taipei
after adopting a policy platform to promote peace across the Taiwan
Straits.
According to media reports in Taiwan, the "common aspiration and
prospects for cross-Straits peace and development" jointly issued
by the Communist Party of China (CPC)
and the KMT are listed as the first item of the policy platform,
which indicates the KMT will go all-out to promote cross-Straits
peace and stability.
The platform also pledges to oppose "Taiwan independence" and
advocates returning to the "1992 Consensus" to restart
cross-Straits talks, phasing in a "cross-Straits common market,"
realizing the "three direct links," completely removing barriers to
mainland tourists and pushing forward cross-Straits agricultural
exchanges.
The congress also installed former party Chairman Lien Chan as
the party's honorary chairman and elected the new term of the
Central Committee and Central Standing Committee.
(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2005)