Lien calls on mainland, Taiwan, HK join hands for nation's new perspective (Xinhua) Updated: 2005-12-11 14:08
HONG KONG, December 11 (Xinhua) -- Honorary Chairman of Kuomintang (KMT) Lien
Chan on Saturday called on the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong to join hands in
building a new perspective for the Chinese nation by seeking common ground while
reserving differences.
While delivering a speech at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Lien said
he was greatly encouraged by great changes in the mainland and the enormous
vigor that Hong Kong held when he returned to the two places after decades of
years.
"The Chinese nation is confronted with unprecedented opportunities of
development. Well-being and prosperity that the nation has long aspired after
will never be a faraway dream," Lien said.
Chinese intellectuals should take a serious consideration about what is the
biggest "enemy" to the realization of the new perspective, Lien said, adding
that the top priority is to put aside minor differences so as to seek common
ground.
He called for, on the one hand, respect of the history, and on the other
hand, saying good-bye to the history. "If we continue to live in the past and
explain the past and present with a pessimistic conception of history, populism
will spread and hinder the development of the entire nation and the society,"
Lien said.
He pointed out the most practical way is to face squarely to the reality of
closely knitted economic relations among the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and
make a better complement as Hong Kong enjoys a sound free-economic system,
Taiwan is rich in human and financial resources and the mainland has a
super-large market and development potential.
Though many people thought his visit to the mainland has created a new
opportunity to the peace across the straits, Lien said it could be ruined if the
situation was misjudged.
He hoped all the Chinese intellectuals could shoulder the responsibility
endowed by the time and build a broad road to the future.
"Let's do it better!" Lien concluded his speech with thunderous applause from
the audience.
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