China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin on March 11 urged for pushing forward mainland-Taiwan relations steadily, saying the two sides are facing a grand opportunity for the development of ties. Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the call when attending a panel discussion of the annual session of the National People's Congress.
"We must stick to the principle that the mainland and Taiwan both belong to one China, consolidate the political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and strengthen political trust between the two sides," Jia said.
Jia, also Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also urged the two sides to deepen their economic cooperation and establish a long-term mechanism for mutual development and benefit.
Cultural and educational exchanges should be vigorously promoted to deepen the sense of national and cultural identity between compatriots across the strait, Jia said. (Source: Xinhua, Mar 11, 2010).