Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平, right) and former Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan (連戰, left)

Beijing, July 13 (CNA) Visiting former Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) put forth four proposals regarding cross-Taiwan Strait ties in a closed-door meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing Friday.

According to a press release issued by Lien's office after the meeting, Lien suggested that the two sides seek common ground under the "one China" principle, despite different interpretations of what "one China" means, build perpetual peace for the people on both sides of the strait and the world, step up two-way exchanges to forge harmony between the two sides, and work together to boost the rights and livelihoods of the people and rejuvenate the Chinese nation.

Prior to the closed-door meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi first gave a public speech in a 15-minute session open to the media, in which he vowed to achieve peaceful unification across the strait.

Stressing that peaceful unification between China and Taiwan will definitely be achieved as long as the coordinates in history are correctly set, Xi said that "I'm encouraged to assume the historical responsibility at a time when China is ascending and when the Chinese people are moving toward rejuvenation."

"Although the peaceful development of cross-strait relations is facing a complex and risky situation and many people on both sides are highly concerned, we do believe that what the people want is irresistible," Xi said.

"We are closely watching the historical trends and there is a direction of which we are all clearly aware," he said. "As long as the coordinates are correctly set in history, the ship carrying the hope of cross-strait peaceful unification will eventually sail to the side of victory," he said.

For his part, Lien lamented that relations between the two sides have undergone drastic changes over the past two years.

"The benefits of the people on both sides, in particular those in Taiwan, have been adversely affected as a result of the suspension in systematic bilateral talks," Lien said.

"It is very strange that cross-strait ties have sunk into a stalemate at a time when the silver light of peace is emerging on the Korean peninsula, which has been on the verge of conflict on many occasions," he went on.

All Chinese people around the world, and all those concerned about the situation in East Asia and in the strait, have the right to demand peace and mutual assistance between the two sides to lay a solid foundation for future generations, he said.

"I feel I have the responsibility and obligation to make peace for the people across the strait, and that is also the purpose of this meeting," he said.

It was the fourth meeting between Lien and Xi in more than five years since Xi became China's president in March 2013.

Traveling at the head of a 50-member delegation, Lien arrived in Beijing Thursday for an eight-day visit to China at Xi's invitation.

(By Miao Chung-hen and Flor Wang)
Enditem/J