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Taiwan party leaders express condolence over Wang's death
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-25 09:29 Leaders of three major
opposition parties in Taiwan expressed Saturday their deep condolences over the
death of Wang Daohan, a renowned man for his contributions to promoting the
relations across the Taiwan Straits.
Wang, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across
the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), died of disease in Shanghai Saturday morning at the
age of 90.
Wang had played an important role in promoting the cross-strait relations and
made great contributions to the development of peaceful exchanges across the
Taiwan Straits, said Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Party, in
his message of condolence to the ARATS.
The ARATS was founded in December 1991 when Wang took the presidency. In
April 1993, Wang and Koo Chen-fu, chairman of the Taiwan-based Strait Exchange
Foundation (SEF), held in Singapore the first ever high-level, non-governmental
talks across the Straits.
In October 1998, they held the second talks in Shanghai and reached a
consensus on four points involving dialog across the Straits on political
issues. The talks were known as the Wang-Koo meeting.
"With his gentle, rational and innovative style, Mr. Wang had played a key
role in enhancing peaceful exchanges and made outstanding contribution," said
Ma.
"Both the efforts and the contribution he made will be permanently admired by
all circles of life and the people from the two sides will remember him
forever," Lien Chan, honorary KMT chairman and James Soong, said in his message
of condolence.
James Soong, chairman of the Taiwan-based People First Party, expressed his
appreciation and admiration of Wang's efforts for and contributions to the
development of cross-strait relations while recalling his meeting with Wang in
Shanghai in May.
Yok Mu-ming, chairman of the Taiwan-based New Party, expressed his gratitude
to Wang for opening the door to peace across the Taiwan
Straits.
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