In his much-anticipated meeting with visiting Kuomintang (KMT) Party Chairman Lien, Hu, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), said both CPC and KMT need to carefully study real thinking of the people across the Straits and follow the prevailing trend of public opinions.

"Both of us should jointly strive for peace and stability in order to create the great revitalisation of the Chinese nation," Hu said while warmly welcoming Lien and his 60-member delegation at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing [Images].

Hu, dressed in a dark-coloured western suit, said the "historic meeting" between him and Lien marked that exchanges between the two parties have entered "a new development stage" and reflected their common determination and sincerity to boost cross-Straits relations.

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This common step taken by the two parties will "go down in the history of the development of cross-Straits relations," Hu said.

During the 30-minute open meeting at the delegation- level, which was telecast live, Lien said he has come here for the first time since leaving the eastern Chinese city of Shanghai in 1945, to seek peace and reconciliation.

"We cannot change the past, but we can grasp the opportunities of the future," Lien said.

"We proceed today to achieve happiness and benefits for people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, with goodwill and on the basis of mutual trust," Lien said while calling for efforts to avoid confrontation and conflicts, and "seek reconciliation and dialogue."

The two delegations took a group photo prior to their meeting with both Hu and Lien introducing the delegation members.

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Lien's eight-day China visit comes amid rising cross-Strait tensions after Beijing last month approved a controversial "Anti-Secession Law" authorising its military the legal basis to attack Taiwan if the island moves towards formal independence.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949 but Beijing still considers the island as a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Ties between Beijing and Taipei have been strained after Chen Shui-bian, head of the DPP, ended the KMT's 51-rule in the 2000 presidential election. Much to the dislike of China, Chen was re-elected in 2004, plunging cross-Straits relations to dangerous levels.

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