Chairman of China's top advisory body Jia Qinglin met with Taiwan veterans who participated in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression more than half a century ago, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday.

The war was a just one that was based on the cooperation between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) Party and involved all Chinese people including compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao Taiwan and other parts of the world, said Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"Review of history is of great significance to realizing current relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits," Jia said.

"The most important enlightenment for today is that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should be united, carry forward the national spirit of patriotism, oppose splittists' activities and speed up the pace of peaceful reunification," he said.

Jia spoke highly the mainland visits earlier this year by leaders of three Taiwan-based parties -- then KMT Chairman Lien Chan, the People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong and the New Party Chairman Yok Yu-ming.

President Hu Jintao had talks with them separately and they reached many consensus including opposing the Taiwan independence.

"We hope to work together with people of all walks of life in Taiwan, enlarge the scope of cooperation and strive for the bright future of the cross-straits relations," Jia said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2005)