Hu meets KMT chairman, vows to avoid "internal struggle"

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BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with visiting Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung here Tuesday, promising to kick-start talks on cross-Straits economic co-op pact and to avoid "internal struggle" in foreign affairs.

The two agreed to further implement the common prospects for peaceful cross-Straits development, agreed by leaders of the two parties in 2005, said a statement issued after their meeting.

Both sides would maintain the political foundation that they oppose "Taiwan independence" and stick to the 1992 Consensus, the statement said. Both will "work to intensify mutual trust."

They would begin talks about the economic cooperation agreement as early as possible and promote exchanges between cultural and educational sectors, it said.

AVOIDING "INTERNAL STRUGGLE"

"Both sides held that they should avoid internal struggle in foreign affairs and work for the interests of all Chinese," the statement said.

Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) earlier this month showed the mainland's sincerity in pushing forward the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, said Hu at the meeting with Wu.

"It indicated Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits have the ability and wisdom to properly solve issues concerning the island's participation in activities of international institutions," he said.

"We hope it is conducive to promoting Taiwan compatriots' understanding on the mainland and the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations," he said.