From Pakistan’s The News:
China’s president dangled the carrot of the country’s booming economy at a forum on China-Taiwan business ties on Saturday, in Beijing’s latest attempt to win hearts and minds in Taiwan. Chinese President Hu Jintao told the roughly 500 delegates, including a former Taiwanese opposition leader, that the country offered boundless economic opportunities.
“At present, the mainland’s economy is developing powerfully, which creates more space, more motivation and even more superior conditions for cross-strait economic cooperation,” Hu said, with Lien Chan, honorary chairman of Taiwan’s main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang(KMT), standing beside him.
The Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Forum was discussing how to boost exchanges between China and Taiwan amid controversy this week over the 2008 Olympic torch route. [Full Text]