Taiwan leader seeks closer ties with mainland China

New Delhi, July 12 (ANI): Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou has called for closer ties with mainland China following the signing of a historic trade pact by the two sides last month.

In a message sent to Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the China Daily quoted Ma, as saying that this was an opportunity for the two sides to end decades of mistrust and search for common ground.

The appeal, condensed into 16 Chinese characters, will be given to Hu on Monday by Wu Poh-hsiung, honorary chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT), when he meets Hu in Beijing.

Translated into English, the 16 characters read: "Looking into realities, overcoming differences and seeking common ground, accumulating mutual trust and further creating win-win situations."

This will be the third meeting between top leaders of the CPC and the KMT since 2008, when Ma took the reins of power.

Wu has previously said that it is both natural and necessary for senior leaders of both parties to meet once a year.

Negotiators from the mainland and Taiwan signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in the southwestern mainland city of Chongqing in late June. (ANI)