The Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the New Party's Mainland Affairs Committee will engage in occasional talks and exchanges of views in a bid to strengthen cooperation on a wide range of matters concerning cross-Straits relations.

The two sides also agreed that:

* The one-China principle is the basis for maintaining stable cross-Straits relations and better development of bilateral ties;

* Both sides of the Taiwan Straits should strengthen exchanges in all fields on the basis of the 1992 consensus that Beijing and Taipei should stick to the one-China principle;

* The mainland and Taiwan should boost cooperation in agriculture and education.

The establishment of the mechanism was part of the consensus reached Wednesday between negotiators from the Taiwan Work Office and the New Party's Mainland Affairs Committee after day-long talks.

The meeting between the Taiwan Work Office and the nine-member New Party delegation led by Hsu Li-nung, chairman of the party's Mainland Affairs Committee, was the first face-to-face encounter between organs of two parties since 1949.

Both sides hailed the talks as a "very successful trial," saying it is of great significance to future exchanges and even the development of cross-Straits ties.

The time for next meeting between the two yet to be decided, negotiators told a press conference.

But both sides expressed hopes that the historic meeting may set a precedent for the other two main opposition parties in Taiwan: the Kuomintang (KMT) party and People First Party.

"If they (the KMT and People First Party) feel the need (to establish a mechanism for dialogue), we are ready to give our positive response at any time," said Wang Zaixi, deputy director of the Taiwan Work Office.

He reiterated that Beijing is willing to open talks with any individuals, parties or groups that accept the one-China principle, oppose Taiwanese independence and support the reunification of the motherland.

Yok Mu-ming, spokesman for the New Party delegation, said his party expects that the KMT and People First Party could follow suit and conduct similar exchanges with the CPC.

"Such exchanges will greatly help promote peace and stability in cross-Straits ties," Yok stressed.

So far, Beijing has refused to enter into talks with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has publicly advocated Taiwanese independence and rejected the principle that there is only one China in the world and both the mainland and Taiwan are part of it.

Vice-Premier Qian Qichen is scheduled to meet the New Party delegation this morning in his capacity as a political bureau member of the CPC Central Committee.

Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, met the New Party delegation on Tuesday.

He praised the New Party for adhering to the one-China principle and fighting against separatism in Taiwan.

He reiterated that the one-China principle is the "unshakable" legal basis for the development of cross-Straits relations.

(People’s Daily 07/12/2001)