On Sunday morning, Wang Daohan, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), spoke highly of the stance of the People First Party (PFP) to adhere to the "one-China" principle and oppose "Taiwan independence."

During his meeting with visiting PFP Chairman James Soong in Shanghai, Wang said it's positive that the PFP remained committed to the "1992 Consensus" and that people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are "as close as flesh and blood."

"There is no enmity that cannot be dissolved, nor prejudice that cannot be thrown away," Wang said. "Peace and development are commendable and the revitalization of the Chinese nation is all the more important."

On resumption of cross-Straits dialogue and talks, Wang said the government has always taken a clear cut stand that the mainland and Taiwan both belong to one China.

Soong said that people in Taiwan highly respect Wang for his contribution to peace and development across the Straits.

Before a lunch later on Sunday, Soong told a group of Taiwan businesspeople operating in the Yangtze Delta region of east China that his party firmly opposes secession because it would only lead to warfare and disaster.

"'Taiwan Independence' has never been an option for us," Soong said.

He reiterated that since its founding in 2000, the PFP has kept to the "1992 Consensus," which "serves the interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and allows them to resolve the issue calmly."

Soong praised the successful visit to the mainland by Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan, saying that "the PFP and KMT share the common aspiration and major principles on the cross-Straits issue but proceed from different angles."

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2005)