"Democracy cannot be exported to some other place. This must be a product of internal domestic development in a society," Putin said in the interview aired on Sunday night on the CBS' news magazine programme 60 Minutes.
"But if the United States were to leave and abandon Iraq without establishing the grounds for a united country, that would be a second mistake," he said.
Democracy not dying
In the interview, Putin rejected suggestions that he was rescinding Russian democracy by measures such as ending the direct election of governors.
He also took at swipe at the US presidential election system, in which voters choose electors who then elect the president.
"In Russia, the president is elected through the direct vote of the whole population. That might be even more democratic," Putin said, and then went on to note the legal disputes over the US presidential vote in 2000.
"You have other problems in your elections. Four years ago your presidential election was decided by the court. But we're not going to poke our noses into your democratic system because that's up to the American people," he said.
The comment reflected Russia's frequent contention that foreign criticism in effect amounts to interference in its internal affairs.
Putin also said that despite differences of views with US President George Bush, he regarded him as a trustworthy politician.
"He is a truly reliable person who does what he says he will do," Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in a TV interview that, although he believes the Iraq war was a serious mistake, a US withdrawal before the county stabilises would compound the problem.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Taiwan's opposition leader Lien Chen has returned home after a historic visit to mainland China, hailing his "journey of peace" that netted a friendship offer of two giant pandas from Beijing.
Lien, chairman of the Nationalist Party, gave a brief speech at the airport upon his arrival on Tuesday, hailing the eight-day visit to the mainland and saying his "journey of peace has come to an end and we've met with the mainland leaders and exchanged views with them."
Following Lien's visit, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Tuesday invited China's leader to visit Taiwan to get a better understanding of the island, but Beijing quickly responded that it won't talk to Chen until his party drops what China says is an independence clause in its platform.
Wang Zaixi, a spokesman for the ruling Communist Party's Taiwan Work Office, said the government of Chen also must first endorse a 1992 declaration that the self-ruled island and the mainland are "one China."
Su Chi, a Taiwan Legislative Council member and former chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, told CNN on Wednesday that the mood on cross-Straits relations had changed.
He said people in Taiwan wanted a more moderate approach and were "not happy" with the confrontational approach of Chen.
Restrictions lifted
Following Lien's visit, China has said it will lift restrictions on Chinese tourists going to Taiwan and will ease some tariffs.
China said Taiwanese made 3.7 million trips to the mainland in 2004, while only 145,000 mainlanders visited Taiwan.
China has also offered a pair of giant pandas to Taiwan.
A Taiwan official has outlined complex guidelines for accepting the Chinese offer, underscoring the caution that the island's government is applying towards China's diplomatic gesture.
China said Tuesday it was presenting the pair of giant pandas to "compatriots of Taiwan."
The decision was announced by Chen Yunlin, director of the Communist Party's Taiwan Work Office, on behalf of the party Central Committee and State Council, or Cabinet, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
In response, Lee Ching-lung, head of Taiwan's Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture said that only research institutions could apply to receive the protected animals, but said that zoos would be included.
Lien Chan's eight-day visit provoked harsh criticism among lawmakers from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, who accused him of trying to undercut government authority by engaging in private diplomacy.
One of the ruling party's greatest concerns is that China will insist Taiwan accept the pandas as a local Chinese government rather than as a self-governing entity.
"If we accept the pandas that means we're admitting ourselves we're a local government," said DPP lawmaker Hsu Kuo-yung.
"Our lovely next generation is more important than these two lovely animals," he said.
The DPP champions an independence-leaning policy, while the opposition Nationalists say Taiwan should reunify with the mainland.
China and Taiwan split in 1949 after a protracted civil war and since then Chinese leaders have been pressuring the island to unify.
Four Americans were among the 17 people killed in a huge car bomb blast in central Baghdad on Saturday, security and medical sources said.
"According to the latest toll, there are 13 Iraqi civilians killed and four foreigners whose bodies were completely charred," the official said on condition of anonymity.
A medic, Khaled Ibrahim, said: "According to the badges we found, they are Americans."
A US officer on the scene confirmed to AFP that the four were US citizens.
The bodies of the four foreigners, presumed to be security guards, were charred inside the wreckage of their vehicles.
Aljazeera reported 33 others, including four foreigners, were wounded in the explosion.
At least 33 people were injured in Saturday's blast
At least two of the sport-utility vehicles in the foreign convoy were ablaze after the blast, and police pulled charred bodies from the wreckage. One Western man staggered from the scene with blood pouring from his head.
Black smoke billowed into the sky and ambulances converged on the scene, one of the capital's busiest intersections.
Two explosions
Reuters witnesses who were nearby said there were two large explosions, but it was not clear whether the second blast was a car bomb or the fuel tank of a vehicle exploding.
The US military said it had heard the blast, but had no immediate information about the location or cause.
Foreign officials and security contractors move around Baghdad in high-profile convoys of four-wheel-drive SUVs accompanied by armed guards.
They are a frequent target for fighters, particularly on the dangerous airport road.
Over the past weeks, violence has surged in Iraq with a series of bombings, ambushes and bomb blasts.
James Soong says he will not act as an envoy for President Chen
Taiwan's second opposition leader to visit China in a week has reaffirmed that he rejects the notion of independence for the island.
James Soong, of the People First Party (PFP), said both Chinese and Taiwanese were descendants from the same emperor.
"I am here looking for my roots - and I want to build a bridge for the future," he said on his arrival in Xian.
Mr Soong's trip follows a historic visit to China by the leader of the Nationalist Kuomintang party (KMT).
Both the KMT and the PFP favour eventual reunification with the mainland.
Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province and refuses to negotiate with President Chen Shui-bian until he acknowledges that the island is part of China.
Message
Shortly after his arrival, Mr Soong reaffirmed his party's position on the issue.
Mr Lien's visit yielded the offer of two giant pandas
"Independence is not the choice of Taiwanese people," he said. "That is the unshakable stance of our party."
After Xian, Mr Soong is due to visit the cities of Nanjing and Shanghai, before a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing.
Despite sharp differences between Mr Soong and President Chen, the two signed a 10-point agreement on cross-strait ties which Mr Soong says will form the basis of his talks with Beijing.
In that agreement, Mr Chen pledged to maintain the status quo in Taiwan, and not push for the island's formal independence.
Mr Chen recently announced that he had asked Mr Soong to relay a message during his visit to China, leading some analysts to view Mr Soong's trip as that of an unofficial emissary for the Taiwanese president.
But Mr Soong has denied carrying such a message, saying: "I'm not an envoy."
But he added: "I am willing to represent Taiwan people to bring a message of peace."
Warm welcome
Mr Soong himself used to be a key member of the KMT, before founding his own party in 2000.
The PFP and the KMT are currently in an alliance, forming a majority opposition.
The future will be promising if it is achieved through the language of democracy
It began with the red carpet treatment and huge, cheering crowds.
It concluded with a package of goodwill gestures from China, including the offer of two giant pandas.
Mr Lien left China on a high note
From start to finish, the historic visit to China by Taiwan opposition head Lien Chan was highly symbolic.
He becomes the first Nationalist Party leader to return to the mainland since the party fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war in 1949.
But analysts are concluding it was also successful in other ways.
"One of the biggest results of this visit may be that its changed people's perceptions in Taiwan," said Lu Ya-li, professor of political science at Taiwan's Chinese Culture University.
"Lien's visit, the wide coverage it got, shifted people's thinking towards China, and the Communist Party," she said.
Prospects for future China-Taiwan relations now seem very bright
Chao Chun-shan, Tamkang University
Ms Lu said the visit "could mark a turning point in cross strait relations - for better or worse", adding: "I think things will probably get better - if only because its hard for things to get much worse than they have been."
Lien Chan, who lost two presidential elections in Taiwan and has vowed to stand down as chairman of his party later this year, was feted like a head of state.
His image as a somewhat dour, wooden politician was transformed.
In front of the ever-present media, he appeared relaxed and confident, even cracking jokes.
"Prospects for future China-Taiwan relations now seem very bright," concluded Chao Chun-shan at Tamkang University's Institute of Mainland China.
"Lien Chan and [Chinese President] Hu Jintao agreed to end the mutual hostility between their parties; and this visit has helped to open the door for negotiations between Taipei and Beijing."
Support at home
While there was hardly overwhelming public support in Taiwan for Lien Chan's visit before it got under way, recent public opinion polls now show a majority of people believe it has helped to ease cross-strait tensions.
People are now looking to the government to take the opportunity to improve relations.
Taiwan's independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian has taken note.
Initially highly critical of the visit, he has now asked another opposition leader, James Soong, of the People First Party or PFP, to deliver a message to Chinese leaders on his behalf.
Toasting to the future: Mr Lien called for cross-strait talks
And in an attempt to regain the diplomatic initiative, he has urged China to begin talking directly to his government, saying he would be willing to hold talks at any time.
He also invited President Hu to visit Taiwan, to see for himself the realities on the ground - though such invitations are hugely problematic. China says it is ready to talk to Mr Chen, but only if he agrees to recognise Beijing's sovereignty over the island.
"[Mr Chen] has shown he's very flexible and pragmatic - able to readjust his policies to deal with the changing situation," commented Philip Yang, professor of political science at National Taiwan University.
"He was feeling somewhat marginalised. Lien Chan's visit had put great pressure on him."
While President Chen may have concluded that it was better to take a lead, rather than let China sideline him, his shift has not gone down well with some of Taiwan's hardline pro-independence groups, and even some within his Democratic Progressive Party, who have reacted with some dismay.
Looking ahead
There is now heightened expectation over Mr Soong's visit to the mainland, which begins on Thursday.
Like the Nationalists, the PFP favours eventual reunification with China.
But recently, Mr Soong has established friendlier relations with President Chen.
The two men held their first talks in more than four years in February, and issued a 10-point communiqué, setting out areas of consensus on cross strait relations, among other issues.
But Mr Soong, who says he is going to China as a private individual on a bridge-building journey, has reportedly bristled at suggestions that he will act as an envoy or messenger for President Chen.
"It puts us in an awkward position," admitted PFP legislator Hwang Yih-jiau, who is travelling to China as part of Mr Soong's delegation.
James Soong (right) is to deliver a message on President Chen's behalf
"We are not envoys of President Chen or mediators. Mr Soong is head of a party with its own position.
"There is more pressure on us now... but it's manageable. Certainly there is more importance attached to this visit", he said.
Mr Hwang also conceded there had been some "benevolent rivalry" between his party and the Nationalists in their visits to the mainland - so closely timed together.
But he said it was "competition between friends", and that both were working for better relations and dialogue across the Taiwan Strait.
China will certainly be attaching a great deal of importance to Mr Soong's visit because of his recent contacts with President Chen.
The visit may carry less symbolism, but may offer more weight and substance, than Lien Chan's.
Whether it will help to widen the door to formal negotiations between China and Taiwan - and mark the start of a new chapter in their relations - still remains the big question.
Accusing each other of various human-rights abuses, China's verbal salvos carried additional venom this year after the well-publicised prisoner-abuse scandals in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.
This prompted human-rights watchers to express concern that US actions have undermined its moral authority, and made it easier for authoritarian governments to justify their human-rights abuses.
Summarising China's human-rights record as "poor", the US report, issued on 28 February by the State Department as part of a yearly review on global human rights, accused China of maintaining "tight restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press".
Highlighting the lack of an independent judiciary and the arrest of several dissent writers towards the end of last year, the report said "many who openly expressed dissenting political views were harassed, detained, or imprisoned", and that the government was "quick to suppress religious, political, and social groups that they perceived as threatening to government authority or national stability".
Harsh crackdown
Covering 118 pages, it also reiterated an earlier criticism that China was using "the international war on terror as a pretext for cracking down harshly on suspected Uighur separatists expressing peaceful political dissent and on independent Muslim religious leaders", in the north-western border province of Xinjiang.
In part wary of radical Islamic influence in the region, since 1997 China has been waging an anti-separatism campaign targeting "extremism", "terrorism", and "splittism". Critics, including the State Department report, say that the campaign has not adequately differentiated between those using peaceful forms of protest and those using violence.
The Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 chilled ties with the West
Washington has yet to announce whether it will table a resolution against China's record at this month's UN Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva. Previous years' resolutions have always failed to be passed.
"It is clear that China's human-rights situation needs improving, but China's human rights are an internal issue," Shen Jiru, a political theorist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said soon after the report's publication.
In part echoing the government line, Shen questioned whether moral values are always transferable and at what point in a society's development individual human rights should be given priority.
"In China, the biggest problem is economic development as there are so many people with little money or education. Do these people's rights come before the rights of dissidents?" Shen asks.
China's appraisal
Issuing a formal response on Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said that only the Chinese people have the right to comment on their human rights and that "the Chinese government, sticking to a policy it calls 'putting people above everything else,' has made many efforts toward building a democratic country under the rule of law".
This was followed on Thursday by their own appraisal of US human-rights record.
China's reaction to Uighur Muslim demands has sparked concern
Its flowery language contrasting with the US State Department's bureaucratic wording, the report said that "the atrocity of US troops abusing Iraqi PoWs exposed the dark side of human-rights performance of the United States", and that "the world people have to probe the human rights record behind the Statue of Liberty in the United States".
Cataloguing a list of apparent failings within America, including high levels of racial discrimination, rising number of homelessness, and curtailment of rights since 9/11, the report questioned whether the US can justifiable pose as "the world's human rights police".
"The 2004 US presidential election reported many problems, including counting errors, machine malfunctions, registration confusion, legal uncertainty, and lack of respect for voters," the report said.
Double standards
The report also listed a string of abuses carried out during the war in Iraq. Included were the killing of 45 people at a wedding party in May last year, and the shooting of seven civilians on a bus in Ramadi last November.
US army abuses have come in for criticism from Chinese officials
"The double standards of the US on human rights and its exercise of hegemonism and power politics under the pretext of promoting human rights certainly put itself in an isolated and passive position and beget opposition from all just members of the international community," the report concluded.
Commenting on the two reports, Mickie Spiegel, China researcher at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said: "Though I believe the US report on China tries to reflect accurately what is happening, American actions (in Iraq) has made it easier for the Chinese to criticise America, and makes it easier for more abusive governments to justify their own actions.
"In terms of the US ability to speak for people's rights (Iraq) makes it very difficult for people to follow America and this worries me."
The annual trans-Pacific war of words was renewed this week as first Washington, and then Beijing, released their 2004 human rights reports.
Tens of thousands of people have taken part in celebrations to mark 30 years since the end of the Vietnam War.
Soldiers parade through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City
30 years ago the palace was the location for the formal surrender
Military bands and marching peasant soldiers re-enacted the North Vietnamese victory in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.
In Hanoi, costumed dancers on a stage mimicked the downing of US war planes and wept over their fallen comrades.
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai said the victory of 30 April 1975 was "forever written in our nation's history".
But he added that Vietnam still faced many challenges and should move on from the past and look to the future.
The tone of the celebrations was sombre but triumphant, reports the BBC's Kylie Morris in Ho Chi Minh City.
Liberation Day, as it is known in Vietnam, marks the victory of communist North Vietnamese forces over the US-backed regime in the south.
National pride
The government said it hoped the anniversary commemorations would help to revive patriotism and national pride among the young.
About two-thirds of Vietnam's 84 million population is under 30.
In Hanoi on Friday, Mr Khai told Vietnamese leaders, war veterans and foreign diplomats, including US Ambassador Michael W Marine: "Our people's victory in the resistance against the Americans for national salvation is forever written in our nation's history as one of the most glorious pages."
But he also said Vietnam needed to "avoid self-satisfaction, and realise the weaknesses and challenges posed to us".
And he added that his government advocated "friendly co-operation to strengthen relations with countries that took part in the Vietnam War."
Saturday's events included a parade by Vietcong veterans and a ceremony for those who were born 30 years ago to the day when communist tanks rolled through the gates of the city's Presidential Palace.
Crew members of Tank 390, which at 1100 on 30 April knocked down the gates of the palace where the US-backed administration had spent its final hours, watched a re-enactment of the dramatic breakthrough which signalled the end of the war.
The Southern Vietnamese formally surrendered, marking the official end to a war which had claimed an estimated three million Vietnamese and some 58,000 American lives.
The red and yellow flag of Vietnam now adorns many of the streets and buildings of Ho Chi Minh City.
In front of the Presidential Palace, a large portrait of late President Ho Chi Minh, founder of today's Vietnam, takes pride of place.
The only high profile foreign visitor attending the celebrations was Cuban Defence Minister Raul Castro, President Fidel Castro's younger brother and apparent heir.
Cuba, along with the Soviet Union and China, were communist North Vietnam's key allies during the conflict.
More than 7,500 prisoners, including some political detainees, have been released this year as part of an anniversary amnesty.
Chinese city greets Taiwan's Lien
出處
Taiwan's opposition leader Lien Chan, has been cheered by thousands of people while visiting the city of his birth in northern China.
Mr Lien has called for closer ties between China and Taiwan
The crowds in Xian waved the flags of both communist China and the nationalist Kuomintang party which fled to Taiwan in defeat in 1949.
At his old school, Mr Lien said all Chinese people had the same roots and should work together for the future.
His visit follows historic talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
It was the highest-level contact between communist and nationalist leaders since the nationalists lost the civil war and fled to Taiwan. The two leaders agreed to work to reduce cross-strait tension.
But Taiwan's government said Mr Lien had failed to persuade Beijing to recognise Taiwan's sovereignty, or to reduce the number of missiles pointing towards Taiwan from the mainland.
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which in the past has backed independence from China, has been uneasy about Mr Lien's visit from the start.
"Cross-strait talks should be led by the government and [the] opposition party should work hard to become a ruling party," Prime Minister Frank Hsieh told reporters.
China sees Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force if the island ever declares formal independence from Beijing.
Last month it passed an anti-secession law authorising a military invasion in such a case.
The nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) has previously said its favours eventual reunification, so long as China is by then democratic.
The party was for decades implacably opposed to dealing with China's Communists, but since it lost power in 2000 it has increasingly favoured closer ties, especially for promoting business interests.
Mr Lien and his family moved to Taiwan in 1946, while the civil was still raging.
Saturday 30 April 2005, 16:04 Makka Time, 13:04 GMT
The celebrations reenacted scenes from 30 years ago
Vietnam is on the crest of an economic wave
Vietnam has celebrated the communist victory of 30 years ago over a US-backed government.
The celebrations on Saturday were marked by parading troops on the same boulevard used by tanks on their way to smashing the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam that symbolised the final act of victory.
Watched by the country's leaders and legendary figures such as war hero General Vo Nguyen Giap, soldiers, government workers and performers marched with red flags waving towards the palace gates in Ho Chi Minh city.
Hundreds of ageing veterans, their chests decked with medals, watched from the sidelines.
Giant billboards of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's revolutionary leader, dominated the parade ground and adjoining streets which had been blocked off to the public due to security concerns.
Fall of Saigon
On 30 April 1975, North Vietnamese tanks barrelled through the gates of the palace, the heart of the US-backed Saigon government.
The fall of Saigon marked the official end to the Vietnam War, and America's more than decade-long attempt to halt the spread of communism in the region. The war claimed about 58,000 American lives and an estimated three million Vietnamese.
"I was listening to the radio with my family and heard that Saigon had been liberated. I was very happy because for many years we weren't free. After 30 years we have rebuilt our country. Our land is safe and secure and I think the future will be better for my children," said To Thanh Nghia, 51, a government worker marching in the parade.
The atmosphere in the country three decades later has been mostly festive, focusing on Vietnam's recent economic rejuvenation. Memories of the war and its aftermath are little more than anecdotes in history books for most Vietnamese who were born after it ended.
Victories recalled
While Vietnam proudly recalled its victories over both the United States and colonial France, the focus was clearly on the future.
"Through our two resistance [wars] against foreign aggressors the historical clashes in Saigon will always be in the forefront," said President Tran Duc Luong to cheers from the crowd.
He called Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, the country's "economic locomotive".
With the president on the giant reviewing platform was a guest of honour, Raul Castro, the brother and successor to Cuba's leader Fidel Castro who stood by Vietnam's communist government for decades.
Also flanking the leader was Giap, the military mastermind who defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu and ousted the Americans.
Despite Vietnam's remarkable recovery from the devastation of war, most of its largely agrarian population of 82 million remains poor with per capita income hovering around $550 a year.
But Vietnam is on the crest of an economic wave that saw annual growth of 7.7% last year - second only to China in Asia.
AP
The handshake was broadcast on Chinese and Taiwanese TV
China's Communist Party chief and Taiwan's opposition Nationalist leader have agreed at historic talks to work to reduce cross-strait tension.
They made a commitment to "promote the reaching of an agreement to end the hostile situation", a spokesman said.
It was the first meeting between party leaders since the Nationalists lost the civil war and fled to Taiwan in 1949.
Taiwan's government criticised the talks, saying they had done nothing to improve cross-strait relations.
China's leader, Hu Jintao, said his meeting with Taiwan's Lien Chan had "injected new vitality" into cross-strait relations.
But a statement from Taipei noted that Mr Lien had failed to persuade Beijing to recognise Taiwan's sovereignty, or to reduce the number of missiles pointing towards Taiwan from the mainland.
"We feel deeply disappointed that China had failed to show the slightest sincerity in improving relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name)," said Joseph Wu, chairman of the cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council.
Mr Lien conceded that whether Taiwan acted on Friday's agreement depended on the island's government in Taipei.
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which in the past has backed independence from China, has been uneasy about Mr Lien's visit from the start, and had warned him against signing any agreements with Beijing's leaders.
"The Nationalist Party as an opposition party can only put it forward as a suggestion," Mr Lien said of the agreement he reached with Mr Hu.
"How to carry it out depends on what importance the government attaches to it," he was quoted as saying.
China sees Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force if the island declared formal independence from Beijing, a position which leads to regular wars of words with the DPP.
Historic handshake
Lien Chan and Hu Jintao greeted each other warmly as they met in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Mr Hu described Mr Lien's trip as a great thing.
"This meeting today is a historic meeting between the leaders of our two parties," Mr Hu told his guest.
Lien Chan has been receiving a warm welcome in Beijing
"Although differences between our two parties remain, as long as both sides can place importance on the interests of the Chinese nation... we will be able to overcome differences and create a bright future."
Mr Lien said he hoped the two sides could seize the opportunity to bring about a better future.
"We cannot change the past, but we can grasp the opportunities of the future... We need reconciliation and dialogue."
After a private meeting, the two sides issued a joint statement, saying they were committed to "seeking the peace and stability of Taiwan, pushing forward the development of cross-strait relations and safeguarding the interests of the compatriots on both sides of the strait".
Both sides repeated their previously stated positions opposing Taiwan's independence. The Nationalists have said before they favour eventual reunification, so long as China is by then democratic.
Mixed reactions
While China has given a warm welcome to the Taiwanese delegation, the visit has provoked a mixed reaction back in Taipei.
A BBC correspondent there says that while some people are in favour of any attempt to reduce tensions with Beijing, others are concerned that Mr Lien's visit will add to tensions between the ruling party and the Nationalist opposition.
The Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang (KMT), were for decades implacably opposed to dealing with China's Communists.
But since they lost power in 2000 they have increasingly favoured closer ties, especially for promoting business interests.
TAIWAN-CHINA RELATIONS
Ruled by separate governments since end of Chinese civil war in 1949
China considers the island part of its territory
China has offered a "one country, two systems" solution, like Hong Kong
Most people in Taiwan support status quo
出處 Text of KMT-Beijing agreement
Here is the press communique released by Chinese President Hu Jintao and KMT Chairman Lien Chan on 29 April 2005, carried by China's official news agency, Xinhua.
Over the past 56 years the two sides of the [Taiwan] strait have followed different paths and developed different social systems and ways of life.
More than 10 years ago, based on goodwill and on seeking common ground while reserving differences, the two sides launched consultations, dialogue and nongovernmental exchanges, filling cross-strait ties with hopes of peace and vitality in cooperation.
In recent years, however, the basis for cross-strait mutual trust has repeatedly been damaged, and the situation in cross-strait ties has undergone sustained deterioration.
Cross-strait ties are now at a crucial point in historical development; the two sides should not fall into a vicious circle of confrontation but instead enter a virtuous circle of cooperation, seek together opportunities for the peaceful and steady development of cross-strait ties, trust and help each other, and create a new situation of peaceful win-win, so as to bring about brilliant and splendid prospects for the Chinese nation.
The two parties agreed as follows:
It is the common proposition of the two parties to uphold the "Consensus of '92", oppose "Taiwan independence", pursue peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, promote the development of cross-strait ties, and safeguard the interests of compatriots on both sides of the strait.
Promoting exchanges and visits between compatriots on both sides and carrying forward together Chinese culture help to eliminate alienation, increase mutual trust, and accumulate consensus.
Peace and development are the tide of the 21st century; the peaceful development of cross-strait ties accords with the common interests of the compatriots on both sides of the strait and also with the interests of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
Based on this consensus, the two parties urged the following tasks:
1. Promote resumption of cross-strait negotiations as soon as possible, and pursue together the happiness of the people on both sides:
Promote the soonest possible resumption of consultations on an equal footing, based on the "Consensus of '92", hold discussions on issues of common and individual concern, and spur the benign and healthy development of cross-strait ties.
2. Promote an end to the state of hostilities, and reach a peace accord:
Promote a formal ending to the cross-strait state of hostilities, reach a peace accord, and build a framework for the peaceful and steady development of cross-strait ties, including the establishment of a military mutual trust mechanism, to avoid cross-strait military conflict.
3. Promote all-round cross-strait economic exchanges, establish a cross-strait economic co-operation mechanism:
Promote the unfolding of all-round cross-strait economic cooperation and establish close economic and trade cooperation ties, including all-round, direct and two-way "three links", opening up direct sea and air links, strengthening investment and trade exchanges and guarantees, carrying out agricultural and fishery co-operation, resolving the problems of selling Taiwan agricultural products on the mainland, improving the exchange order, and cracking down together on crime, and proceed to build a stable economic co-operation mechanism and promote priority discussion on the question of a cross-strait common market after cross-strait consultations are resumed.
4. Promote consultations on issues of participation in international activities, which concern the Taiwan public:
Promote discussion on issues of participation in international activities, which concern the Taiwan public, after cross-strait consultations are resumed, including priority discussion on participation in the World Health Organization's activities. The two sides will work together to create conditions to gradually find the ultimate solution method.
5. Establish a platform for periodic party-to-party contact:
Establish a platform for periodic contacts between the two parties, including exchange visits by party officials of various ranks, holding seminars on topics regarding improving cross-strait ties, staging consultations on topics concerning the vital interests of compatriots on both sides of the strait, inviting the participation of people of all circles, organizing discussions on measures for closer cross-strait exchanges, and so on.
The two parties hope that the results of this visit and talks will help to increase the happiness of the compatriots on both sides of the strait, open up new prospects in cross-strait ties, and create the future for the Chinese nation.
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The future will be promising if it is achieved through the language of democracy 
