"The two sides across the Taiwan Straits have developed different social systems and adopted different ways of life on their respective paths over the past 56 years," says a joint press communiqué on the "common aspiration and prospects for cross-Straits peace and development."

The document was signed Friday afternoon by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao and KMT Chairman Lien Chan after a more-than-two-hour meeting, the first between top leaders of the two parties in 60 years.

According to the communiqué, the Friday meeting between Hu and Lien was of "great historical and realistic significance".

"More than a decade ago, we started consultation, dialogues and people-to-people exchanges across the Taiwan Straits on the basis of goodwill and 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'. These moves brought about hopes for peace and chances for cooperation in cross-Straits relations," says the communiqué.

In recent years, however, the foundation for mutual trust across the Straits was repeatedly sabotaged, while the situation for cross-Straits relations kept worsening, says the document, adding that "presently cross-Straits relations are at a critical point of historical development".

"The two sides across the Straits should step into a virtuous cycle of cooperation -- rather than slump into a vicious cycle of confrontation, join hands to seek opportunities for promoting peace, stability and development across the Straits, trust and help each other, and recreate a peaceful, win-win situation. Only by doing so could we achieve a bright prospect for the Chinese nation," it says.

The document says that the CPC and KMT have agreed to work together to promote cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation in five aspects.

Firstly, the two parties have agreed to promote the earlier restoration of cross-Straits talks and to seek happiness and benefits for people on both sides of the Straits. They will promote the reopening of equal consultation on the basis of the "1992 Consensus" to discuss issues of common and respective concerns and boost the positive and healthy development of cross-Straits relations.

Secondly, the two parties will make joint efforts to promote the formal end of the state of hostility across the Taiwan Straits and will take steps towards reaching a peace accord, building a framework for peaceful and steady development of cross-Straits relations, including a mechanism of military mutual trust, in order to avoid military conflicts across the Straits.

Thirdly, the CPC and KMT will promote all-round economic cooperation, help cement economic and trade relations and promote the "three direct links" across the Taiwan Straits. They have also agreed to take steps to increase and guarantee investment and trade across the Straits, enhance cooperation in agriculture and fishery sectors and facilitate the sales of Taiwan farm produce to the mainland.

At the same time, the two parties will work together to promote the improvement of the order of cross-Straits exchanges and the crackdown on crimes in order to establish a stable economic cooperation mechanism, and promote discussions for establishing a cross-Straits common market, which will be regarded as an issue of priority once cross-Straits consultations are resumed.

Fourthly, the two parties will discuss the issue of Taiwan's participation in international activities after the resumption of cross-Straits dialogue. Priority will be given to the discussion about Taiwan's participation in the activities of the World Health Organization. The two sides will join hands to create conditions and find a final solution step by step.

Fifthly, the CPC and KMT have agreed to establish a platform for regular exchanges between the two parties, including exchange of visits between party officials at different levels, discussions on improving cross-Straits relations and consultations on issues concerning the fundamental interests of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Straits. People from all walks of life will be invited to join in the discussions on measures to cement cross-Straits exchanges.

The communiqué says the CPC and KMT have reached the above-mentioned agreements on the basis of their common endorsement of the following principles:

-- Both the CPC and KMT adhere to the "1992 Consensus" and oppose to "Taiwan independence," and it is their common stance to seek peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, promote cross-Straits relations and safeguard the interests of the Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Straits.

-- Promotion of exchanges and visits between people across the Taiwan Straits and concerted efforts to carry forward the Chinese culture will help end estrangement, enhance mutual trust and buildup consensus.

-- Peace and development are the general trend of the 21st century; peace and development across the Taiwan Straits are in conformity with the common interests of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Straits, as well as the interests of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

The two parties have expressed the hope that the mainland visit of the KMT delegation and the historic meeting between the party leaders will benefit the people on both sides of the Straits, open up a new chapter in cross-Straits relations and lead to a bright future of the Chinese nation, says the communiqué.

The KMT delegation headed by Lien Chan arrived in east China's Nanjing City on Tuesday for an eight-day tour of the mainland.

Prior to the historic meeting between Lien and Hu on Friday, Jia Qinglin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, met the KMT delegation on Thursday shortly after their arrival in Beijing.

Also on Thursday, the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee held working talks with the delegation.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2005)