The 17th National Congress of the Kuomintang (KMT), or the Nationalist Party of China, concluded Saturday afternoon in Taipei after adopting a policy platform to promote peace across the Taiwan Straits.

 

According to media reports in Taiwan, the "common aspiration and prospects for cross-Straits peace and development" jointly issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the KMT are listed as the first item of the policy platform, which indicates the KMT will go all-out to promote cross-Straits peace and stability.

 

The platform also pledges to oppose "Taiwan independence" and advocates returning to the "1992 Consensus" to restart cross-Straits talks, phasing in a "cross-Straits common market," realizing the "three direct links," completely removing barriers to mainland tourists and pushing forward cross-Straits agricultural exchanges.

 

The congress also installed former party Chairman Lien Chan as the party's honorary chairman and elected the new term of the Central Committee and Central Standing Committee.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2005)