Agence France Presse

Beijing, May 12:

President Hu Jintao said today China and Taiwan were at a crucial moment in their history and called for talks with Taiwan’s independence-leaning leader, but only if he accepted the one-China principle.

“Whoever the person is, whatever the political party is, no matter what it said or did in the past, we are willing to talk with them about the development of the (Taiwan) Straits, to promote peaceful reunification,” said Hu. Hu was seen as directing the offer to President Chen Shui-bian, who won elections in 2000 and 2004 on a platform stressing Taiwan’s independent identity and denouncing China’s missile build-up targeting the island.

In a meeting with Taiwan opposition leader James Soong here, Hu said the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations was at a key point. “Cross strait relations are at a crucial moment now,” he said. “The times, and Chinese people, require our political party leaders across the Taiwan Straits to work hard in this regards.”

Soong said he and Communist Party leaders agreed that “as long as Taiwan authorities do not pursue Taiwan independence a conflict across the Taiwan strait could be effectively avoided.”

In March, China passed an anti-secession law giving its military the legal framework to use “non-peaceful” means to halt any moves by Taiwan to formally declare statehood. Since then, Beijing has welcomed not just Soong but also Lien Chan, the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).

Analysts say the red-carpet treatment given to both men is designed to undermine Chen and his Democratic Progressive Party and force them to abandon their pro-independence leanings. Hu called for “positive measures ... to show the world the Chinese have the ability and the wisdom to resolve our contradictions and differences.”