Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (left) and Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Xiamen, China, June 6 (CNA) Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) met with the head of China's top political advisory body Wednesday ahead of the start of the 10th Straits Forum in Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian province.

Speaking to the media before the meeting, Hau congratulated Wang Yang (汪洋) on his election to the position of chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in March, noting that when Wang served as Communist Party secretary of Guangdong Province he did a lot for China-based Taiwanese businessmen.

Hau also mentioned the "1992 consensus" and his opposition to Taiwan independence. The "1992 consensus" refers to a tacit agreement reached by Taiwan and mainland China when the Kuomintang was in power in Taiwan that essentially agrees the two sides are part of one China, while allowing each side to retain its own interpretation as to the nature of that country.

Hau said that after the KMT retook power in 2008, cross-strait relations were greatly improved on the basis of that consensus.

He also noted that during his two terms as Taipei mayor (2006-2014), the city conducted successful exchanges through the annual twin-city forum between Taipei and Shanghai that allowed the two sides to learn from each other.

Wang's duties as CPPCC chairman include involvement in cross-strait ties and this was his first meeting with political figures from Taiwan and attending a major cross-strait exchange event.

Wang said the cross-strait situation has become more complicated as relations between China and Taiwan have reached an impasse with the cross-strait communication mechanism suspended since Taiwan's new government took office in May 2016. How cross-strait ties will develop has attracted much attention, Wang added.

However, this year's Straits Forum is still being held as scheduled, Wang noted, adding that this was his first time at the forum, an event that provides a good opportunity for him to hone his skills at promoting peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

Wang said he looked forward to hearing Hau's views on the development of cross-strait ties during the forum.

Later Wednesday, both Wang and Hau will speak at the general conference of the 10th Straits Forum, an annual cross-strait exchange event started in 2009.

(By Chang Shu-ling and Evelyn Kao)
Enditem/AW