Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) yesterday praised Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) for hosting the fourth round of cross-strait negotiations and thanked police for keeping order during his stay in the city.
Speaking at a dinner banquet hosted by Hu at the Windsor Hotel, Chen also praised former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰), who attended the banquet as a guest, for leading a delegation to visit China in 2005 and laying the foundations for the “peaceful development” of cross-strait relations.
“The Taiwan Strait used to be clouded in darkness and was a dangerous place ... Chairman Lien overcame various hurdles and turned a new page in the history of cross-strait relations. To the Chinese people, he is the pioneer of peaceful cross-strait development,” Chen said.
LIEN
Lien hosted a banquet at the Ambassador Hotel in Taipei to welcome Chen during the second round of cross-strait negotiations last year that was marred by violent protests outside of the hotel.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) made an effort this year to dissuade Lien and other KMT heavyweights, including former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), from hosting banquets to avoid protests.
Hu responded to Lien’s complaint about not being able to host a banquet this time by arranging for Lien to accompany Chen as the two entered the banquet and seated them next to each other.
Lien later lauded the ARATS and the Straits Exchange Foundation for their accomplishments in promoting cross-strait relations while addressing the banquet.
“All of you are engaged in work that will have a long-term impact and the international community is paying a lot of attention to the negotiations ... We expect cross-strait relations to continue moving forward,” he said.
GUESTS
Former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) and various business tycoons including Yulun Group chief executive officer Kenneth Yen (嚴凱泰) and Far Eastern Group chairman Douglas Hsu (徐旭東) were also invited to the banquet.
Hu said he invited businesspeople to attend the banquet to foster closer economic relations with China and said he expected cross-strait negotiations to benefit people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
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