The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) sent a message yesterday congratulating the central committee of Kuomintang and Chairman Lien Chan on convening its 16th representatives' congress.

The CPC Central Committee said in the message that it hopes the Kuomintang will keep its position of abiding by the one-China principle, seeking reunification with the motherland and opposing "Taiwan independence."

The CPC Central Committee also hopes that the Kuomintang will make contributions to promoting relations across the Taiwan Straits. Beijing has repeatedly stressed the importance of the one-China principle in cross-Straits relations while pledging to implement peaceful reunification and a "one country, two systems" program when that occurs.

The KMT convention brought 2,001 people, including 1,467 representatives, in Taipei. Former Kuomintang chairman Lee Teng-hui was not invited, according to a Xinhua report.

An Agence France-Presse report said Lien, during the opening session of the Kuomintang congress, urged the Taiwan authorities to improve its relations with Beijing by accepting the one-China principle.

And the Beijing-based China News Service reported that Lien criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party for bringing problems to cross-Straits relations since rising to power last year.

Lien urged the Democratic Progressive Party government to conduct political consultations with the mainland based on an agreement reached between Taipei and Beijing in 1992.

The report also said that some Kuomintang members protested at the site of yesterday's meeting, calling for the expulsion from the party of Lee Teng-hui.

Lee was widely blamed for bringing down the KMT, Taiwan's ruling party since 1949 until last year's election.

(China Daily 07/30/2001)