President Hu Jintao offered six proposals to promote the peaceful development of the cross-Strait relationship in a speech to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the mainland's Message to Compatriots in Taiwan in Beijing on Wednesday.

Photo taken on Dec. 31, 2008 shows a ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the announcement of Message to Compatriots in Taiwan held in Beijing, capital of China. [Xinhua]

Hu said the mainland is willing to discuss with Taiwan proper and reasonable arrangement for Taiwan's participation in international organizations, as long as this does not create a scenario of "two Chinas" or "China and Taiwan".

Although the two sides of the Strait have been split since 1949 by a civil war, the political confrontation between them did not change the fact that they belonged to one China, he said.

"Under a common understanding of 'one China', anything can be talked about between the two sides," he said. "Anything that is conducive to peaceful development across the Strait, we will greatly promote. Anything that harms it, we will firmly oppose."

Hu also proposed that the two sides stop confrontations and reach peaceful agreements. He said the two sides should step up political talks and increase military contacts and exchanges to ease cross-Strait tension and reduce worries about military security.

He said both sides can talk about a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement to establish a collaboration mechanism with special cross-Strait characteristics, which would be complementary and mutual beneficial to both sides.

Hu said he hoped that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party could clearly understand the situation and stop secessionist activities. "If the party could abandon its 'Taiwan independence' stance, we would make a positive response to them," he said.

He said that all those who have advocated and been involved in secessionist activities were welcome to return to the right direction of peaceful reunification.

"We continue to welcome and support Taiwan companies' business in the mainland and encourage mainland enterprises to invest in Taiwan," he said. "We expect to normalize economic relations across the Strait and establish an economic cooperation mechanism."

The President also stressed the common cultural heritage inherited by the people living on both the mainland and the island, saying that all Chinese should promote China's traditional civilization with strengthened spiritual ties.

"We will continue to take measures to push forward cross-Straits cultural and educational exchanges to a broader and higher stage, including conferring with Taiwan on a cultural and educational exchange protocol," Hu said.

He called on both the mainland and Taiwan to increase communication and exchange in all circles and the mainland will actively respond to any constructive proposals from the island which will boost a peaceful development of the cross-Straits relations.

Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, was addressing a ceremony to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the mainland's major policy change on Taiwan.

Presided over by China's top legislator Wu Bangguo, the ceremony had drawn several other prominent delegates from the government, students and Taiwan compatriots living in the mainland to give speeches.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, issued the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan on Jan. 1, 1979.

In this statement, the mainland first proposed to end the military confrontation across the Taiwan Straits through dialog and welcomed exchanges between the two sides.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2008)