The leader of Taiwan compatriots living on the mainland pledged yesterday to strengthen cross-Straits exchanges in a bid to achieve an early reunification between the island and the mainland.
Yang Guoqing, newly elected president of the All-China Federation for Taiwan Compatriots, said his organization will take advantage of its close links with Taiwan to promote mutual understanding among people on either side of the Taiwan Straits.
"We will actively contact the broad masses of Taiwan people on the island, except a handful of die-hard separatist members, and listen to their suggestions and advice so that we can build consensus (on developing cross-Straits relations)," Yang said.
He added that his federation will make great efforts to help form a united front of all Taiwan compatriots to fight pro-independence forces on the island.
Yang made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the federation's four-day seventh congress. The federation, founded in 1981, is one of China's non-Communist parties.
An open letter to Taiwan people living on the island was also issued yesterday at the end of the congress, calling for joint efforts to promote national reunification.
(China Daily October 24, 2002)
