October 16, 2007 (LPAC)--In his keynote speech to the National Congress of the Communist Party of China delivered in Beijing yesterday, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for a peace agreement with Taiwan and a "formal end to the state of hostility" across the Taiwan Straits under the "one-China principle," as the only way to "usher in a new phase of peaceful development" for both sides.

The Congress is discussing policy for China for the next five years. The mainland has previously stated that Taiwan could maintain its own government, financial system, and even military and foreign policy, if Taipei would agree to a formal reunification agreement with mainland China. It is notable, that on Oct. 4, the two Koreas issued an agreement to finally seek a peace to end the state of hostility which has divided them since the Korean War ended in 1953. China and Taiwan have had hostile relations since 1949, when the KMT government fled the revolution on the mainland.

Moves for secession have been stepped up in Taiwan recently, Hu said. "Here we would like to make a solemn appeal: On the basis of the one-China principle, let us discuss a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides, reach a peace agreement, construct a framework for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and thus usher in a new phase of peaceful development," Hu said. "The mainland side is ready to conduct exchanges, dialogue, consultations and negotiations with any political party in Taiwan on any issue as long as it recognizes that both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same China. We will make every effort to achieve anything that serves the interests of our Taiwan compatriots, contributes to the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan Straits region, and facilitates peaceful national reunification.... China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division, and any matter in this regard must be decided by the entire Chinese people including our Taiwan compatriots," he said.