Hu
Jintao, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
Central Committee, on Sunday extended congratulations to Taipei
Mayor Ma Ying-jeou on the latter's victory in the just-ended
election of the chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Party (KMT) in
Taiwan.
"I sincerely hope that the KMT and the CPC, together with
compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, will continue to
promote the peaceful and steady development of cross-Straits
relations, and join hands to create a bright future for the Chinese
nation," said Hu in a congratulatory message to the KMT Central
Committee and Ma in person.
Ma, an incumbent KMT vice chairman and Taipei Mayor, was elected
new chairman of the KMT on Saturday.
Ma defeated his contender Wang Jyn-pyng, another KMT vice
chairman, by winning 72.36 percent of votes in the Saturday
election to take over as the party chief from retiring Chairman
Lien Chan.
(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2005)