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China's Hu calls for military exchanges with Taiwan
AFP - 21 minutes ago
BEIJING (AFP) - - Chinese President Hu Jintao called Wednesday for military exchanges with Taiwan, in another sign of rapidly improving ties between the former arch enemies.
"The two sides can pick the right time to engage in exchanges on military issues and explore setting up a military and security mechanism to build mutual trust," Hu said.
This would help "improve the situation in the Taiwan Straits and lessen military and security concerns" he said in a speech broadcast live on national television.
The address was to mark the 30th anniversary of a message from China to "compatriots in Taiwan" which called for reunification of the two sides by peaceful means.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949 but Beijing considers the island part of its territory and is determined to get it back, by force if necessary.
Their relationship has been one of the world's most dangerous potential flashpoints, with both sides lining up billions of dollars of military hardware against each other to be ready for war.
China has targeted Taiwan with more than 1,000 short-range ballistic and cruise missiles, according to defence authorities on the island.
But relations have improved dramatically since Ma Ying-jeou, a politician from Taiwan's Beijing-friendly Kuomintang party, assumed the island's presidency in May.
Taiwan's defence ministry gave no immediate reaction to Hu's remarks but Ma has indicated he also wants to kickstart military exchanges.
"My view is that the two sides of the Straits should negotiate on the principles of 'dignity', 'equity' and 'mutual benefit'," Ma said in February, when he was running for presidency.
"But before that, we want the Chinese communists to withdraw their missiles targeting Taiwan, to engage in military exchanges and work out confidence building measures, as well as sign a peace agreement, so that the Taiwan Straits would become a non-military zone."
Hu and Lien Chan, the then Taiwan opposition leader from the Kuomintang, issued a joint communique in 2005 calling for the establishment of a mechanism to improve mutual trust and avoid military conflict.
Hu also urged Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, the island's main opposition force, to "clearly understand the situation and stop secessionist activities".
"If the party could abandon its 'Taiwan independence' stance, we would make a positive response," he said.
Hu also called for growing economic interaction with Taiwan, a major source of investment, especially along the export-dependent east coast of the mainland.
"We continue to welcome and support Taiwan companies' business in the mainland and encourage mainland enterprises to invest in Taiwan," Hu said.
"We expect to normalise economic relations across the Strait and establish an economic cooperation mechanism."
As part of the recent rapprochement, the two sides this month began direct daily flights, postal and shipping services, in a move expected to boost trade ties.
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