Taiwan tries to woo arch enemy China

TAIPEI, Aug 25: Taiwan held out an olive branch to China today, calling for an end to years of hostility between the arch foes, an exchange...

TAIPEI, Aug 25: Taiwan held out an olive branch to China today, calling for an end to years of hostility between the arch foes, an exchange of visits by their leaders and vowing not to pursue independence.

Taiwan Vice-President Lien Chan said at the opening of the ruling Nationalist Party’s 15th Congress, “I hope at the end of the 20th century, a big event would occur, that is, removal of hostility across the Taiwan Strait, and exchange of visits by leaders.”

Lien called for development of a new era in Asia where “Chinese people no longer fight Chinese people and Chinese people help Chinese people.”The Nationalist Party began its four-day 15th Congress here. About 2,300 delegates will elect the chairman and four vice-chairmen tomorrow.

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President Lee Teng-Hui is expected to be elected unopposed during Tuesday’s polls. Meanwhile, the Chinese Government invited an ousted pro-democracy lawmaker to Beijing for the first time since it scrapped Hong Kong’s elected Legislature on July 1.

Christine Loh, chairwoman of the Citizens’ Party, a small pro-democracy group whose agenda focuses on environment, headed for Beijing Monday to attend the World Conference on Tobacco or Health, his aide said.

It is the first time that a pro-democracy advocate of the disbanded Legislative Council (LegCo) has been invited to visit the mainland since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule.

Leading members of the Democratic Party, the most popular elected party in HongKong, remain persona non grata.

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