BEIJING, April 29 (UPI) -- Speaking at Beijing University Friday, Lien Chan, head of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang Party, said he sought reconciliation and dialogue with the mainland.
In an hour-long speech televised nationwide in mainland China, Lien told the gathering his visit was a historic opportunity to sum up the past and build a common future on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
Lien said, "We're paving the way and building a bridge, and people will be glad to see cross-Straits dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation, rather than confrontation or conflict."
The KMT chairman said Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should work together for peace and stability by "actively" maintaining the status quo.
Hours before his groundbreaking meeting with Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao Friday afternoon, Lien also called for the mainland to speed up political reform.
Lien's visit to mainland China is highly controversial in Taiwan, where members and supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party see it as an attempt to undermine the government.
