China-Taiwan reunification stressed

BEIJING, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- President Hu Jintao said Wednesday China will respond positively if secessionists in Taiwan give up efforts to gain the island's independence.

The Chinese leader urged Taiwan's former ruling Democratic Progressive Party to end its "secessionist activities."

"If the party could abandon its 'Taiwan independence' stance, we would make a positive response to them," the official Xinhua news agency reported Hu as saying.

Hu spoke in Beijing during the 30th anniversary of China's "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan." The message relates to China's proposal to end military confrontation across the Taiwan Strait and welcome exchanges between the two sides as part of its reunification effort.

Lin Wenyi, vice chairwoman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the cross-strait relationship has seen major breakthroughs in the past year.

Although China and Taiwan have had separate governments for six decades, the communist country has never relinquished its sovereign claims over Taiwan.

Relations between the two, however, have improved since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou came to power in May after campaigning for improving trade ties with China.

Since then Taiwan and China have opened reciprocal air, sea transport and postal services, the first such direct links in nearly 60 years.