国内英语新闻:Top political advisor calls for stepped-up cross-Strait exchanges

XIAMEN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin called for increasing cooperation and exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Saturday as a means of advancing peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

In his meeting with Taiwanese guests who are in Xiamen to attend the second Straits Forum, Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, expressed his hope that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan could continue to host and perfect such grassroots-level forums in the future.

"(Organizers) should welcome more Taiwanese to participate in the forum, especially those who had never been to the Chinese mainland," Jia said.

Jia Qinglin(C), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends the opening ceremony of the second Strait Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, on June 19, 2010

"People of all parties and all circles, as long as they support cooperation and exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, are welcome to exchange their views at the forum on an equal basis," he said.

The Straits Forum, now in its second year, is expected to attract more than 10,000 Taiwanese participants this year. Among them, about 80 percent were non-officials, and over 60 percent were from the central or southern part of the island.

Hailing the Straits Forum as a pioneering innovation, Jia said he believed the forum would make greater contributions to grassroots-level exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, and contribute to the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties.

Huang Ming-hui, vice chairwoman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party, also said enhanced exchanges between the two sides across the Taiwan Strait would help reduce misunderstandings and continuous communications help reach consensus.