KMT Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia meets with TAO head Song Tao

Shanghai, Feb. 29 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) pledged to urge Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to better handle an incident in which two Chinese fishermen died in waters near Taiwan, during a meeting with the head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) in Shanghai Thursday.

Hsia met with Song Tao (宋濤) at the Fairmont Peace Hotel, which is where the second round of the landmark Koo-Wang talks was held on Oct. 14, 1998.

At that time, the Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) met with Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chairman Wang Daohan (汪道涵) to exchange ideas on cross-strait relations and the communication between people on the two sides.

Song said during his speech Thursday that the meeting with Hsia was supposed to demonstrate the two sides working together to develop cross-strait relations, and that Beijing was willing to work with the KMT to promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, per the 1992 consensus and in opposition to Taiwan independence.

Song acknowledged Hsia's effort to promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and said he would like to hear Hsia's opinions during their talks.

Song also condemned the DPP for "acting with total disregard for the lives of Chinese fishermen," after two Chinese fishermen died in waters near Taiwan.

They died in the incident on Feb. 14, in which a Chinese speedboat, that had illegally entered waters near the Kinmen Islands, capsized after being pursued by Taiwan Coast Guard personnel.

According to the Coast Guard Administration, the personnel discovered an unnamed Chinese speedboat carrying four people in prohibited waters 1.1 nautical miles east of Beiding Island in Kinmen County at 1:45 p.m.

It immediately requested that the boat submit to an inspection, but it resisted and capsized as it sped away.

During the meeting, Hsia said the KMT would "monitor and urge the DPP government to handle this matter properly and find out the truth as soon as possible."

He added that KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) hoped to send condolences to the families of the fishermen through the TAO.

Hsia also said that the KMT will "forever uphold the 1992 consensus and its opposition to Taiwan independence," and that it hopes to positively influence cross-strait relations.

Hsia is currently leading a delegation on a seven-day trip to China, which departed on Monday.