Related report: Soong visits mainland

Visiting Chairman of People First Party James CY Soong reiterated his persistent stance in Beijing Wednesday (May 11) that his party is resolutely opposed to forces for "Taiwan independence," which is a dead alley for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

Soong made the remark when addressing the faculty of Beijing-based Qinghua University televised live.

Taiwan consciousness not "Taiwan independence"     

James CY Soong on Wednesday called on people on the mainland not to take the "Taiwan consciousness" upheld by the Taiwan people the same as "Taiwan independence."

The "Taiwan consciousness" formed in history is a mentality of recognizing the people and land in Taiwan whereas the effort for "Taiwan independence" is only an attempt to separate Taiwan from China, Soong said in a speech in the Beijing-based Qinghua University.

The fact that the "Taiwan consciousness" was once manipulated by "Taiwan independence" forces only proves that such efforts to political control garbled the real aspirations of the Taiwan people.

Soong slashed the efforts of a small handful of secessionists to take themselves as Japanese rather than Taiwanese as "casting aside both roots and essence."

Chinese people can handle own problems peacefully

Visiting Chairman James CY Soong of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan said here Wednesday there is nobody in the world who can hold back the Chinese people from resolving their own problems "peacefully."

Soong said the historical and realistic factors were so complicated and difficult to unravel that they constituted a challenge to the wisdom of all Chinese for "handling our own problems by ourselves."

"History should be taken as a mirror to prevent previous wrongdoing from happening again," said the PFP chairman.

He warned the mentality of taking history as a "rope" would exert a negative impact on taking an rational mindset in resolving problems.

Soong said historic experience shows that the real reconciliation is the "start of a nation's rejuvenation" rather than the result of "compromise of principle."

Rise of China inevitable trend

The rise of the Chinese nation is an inevitable trend, visiting chairman James CY Soong of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan said here Wednesday morning in a speech at the Qinghua University.

Citing May 9 issue of US magazine Newsweek's cover story titled "China's Century", Soong said that the mainland has achieved "stunning achievements" since its open-up and reforms drive in late 1970s.

For instance, he said, more than 300 million people on the mainland have shaken off poverty over the past 25 years. Wal-Mart,a supermarket giant who contributed more than 2 percent of the United State's GDP last year, has 5,000 Chinese suppliers out of its 6,000-plus suppliers.

Chinese has replaced French to become the most favorite foreign language Americans like to learn, he noted.

As for the filming industry, once regarded as a symbol of American culture, movie directors like Zhang Yimou from the mainland and An Lee from Taiwan have became populous names worldwide.

"All of these facts and data have proven that China is rising rapidly," he said.

Mainland, Taiwan need common development, not warfare    

Concerted efforts should be made to build up a common market for common prosperity across the Taiwan Straits, said James CY Soong on Wednesday.

"Several days ago when I visited Nanjing, an old local man came to me after passing the tight police defense, saying that 'Mr. Soong, we need no warfare'. That demonstrated people across the Straits voiced the common aspiration for peace," said Soong in his speech.

Efforts should be made for making mainland and Taiwan "workshop of the world and market for the prosperity of our world," he said.

A stable, open, progressive and peaceful China is in the commoninterest of the world, he stressed. Enditem

Patience, mutual understanding lead to common prosperity    

The harmonious living and common prosperity across the Taiwan Straits require deepening mutual understanding of the people on both sides, James CY Soong said.

Both sides can start from removing misunderstanding to reachingunderstanding, from understanding to dissolving differences, and eventually to the long-standing pacification, he said.

In such a process, both sides can "score growth" and "regain national dignity," he said.

Citing an ancient Chinese story to dredge rather than fend offsurging flood, Soong said that the easing of the cross-Straits tension requires the people on both sides to "make a rational decision."

To make more progress, he encouraged people on both sides to honestly face history while reserving more patience. "Don't eat too fast, otherwise you may bite the bowl," he said jokingly.

Soong said that the cross-Straits relations have achieved world-shaking changes over the past month. "Only by putting people's interests in prior position can we found a solution to the cross-Straits prosperity," he said.

Soong pledges to promote education exchange

James CY Soong pledged to promote education exchange across the Taiwan Straits for the benefit of Taiwan students studying on the mainland.

To facilitate these Taiwan students, educational institutions across the Straits should acknowledge each other's educational records, Soong said when answering a question after his speech to students and teachers of the prestigious Qinghua University.

He also hoped that Taiwan students could obtain fair job opportunities after finishing education on the mainland and receive scholarship from the mainland universities.

Soong promised to take these issues for talks with related mainland authorities.

Editor: Yan