国内英语新闻:Top political advisor meets Taiwan journalists

BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Top political advisor Jia Qinglin met visiting Taiwan journalists here Thursday, expecting media to bridge the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

    Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), urged media on both sides to improve cooperation and exchanges as a bridge between people across the Strait.

    Their cooperation will help create a favorable environment for cross-Straits exchanges and encourage people on both sides to work for peaceful development, he said, when meeting with journalists from the Taiwan-based United Daily News (UDN) headed by Duncan Wang, chief executive officer (CEO) of UDN Group.

    Jia appreciated the efforts UDN has made to improve relations and promote cooperation across the Strait.

    The two sides of the Strait have seen favorable interaction since last year, while the relations headed for a peaceful development, he said. "We hope people on both sides can benefit from the improving ties and the region can remain in peace and stability."

Jia Qinglin (5th L, front), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), poses for group photo with journalists from the Taiwan-based United Daily News (UDN) headed by Duncan Wang (4th R, front), chief executive officer (CEO) of UDN Group in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2009.

Both sides of the Strait should move ahead under the principles of building mutual trust, laying aside disputes, seeking consensus and shelving differences, and creating a win-win situation, he said.

    "We can continue cross-Strait talks stage by stage, easy issues and economic topics first, difficult issues and political topics later," he said. "Now we should pay more attention to improving economic cooperation so as to normalize economic relations as early as possible."

    Efforts should be made to establish an economic cooperative mechanism that fits the region's reality, he said.

    The two sides of the Strait should also promote more exchanges in the cultural and education sectors and improve communications between common people, he added.

    The Taiwan journalists were visiting the mainland at the invitation of Xinhua News Agency.