KMT chairman: Efforts will avert cross-Strait conflict

BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said here Wednesday that natural disasters were unavoidable for both the mainland and Taiwan, "but we could promise that through concerted efforts, no war would occur across the Taiwan Strait."

"Sichuan Province has just been hit by massive earthquakes and Taiwan also suffered a big quake nine years ago," Wu told a press conference after he met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Hu Jintao in the Great Hall of the People.

It is the first meeting between the chiefs of the two parties since positive changes took place in Taiwan.

Wu said when the "September 21 earthquake" hit Taiwan nine years ago, mainland-Taiwan relations were at a low point, but at present cross-Strait relations "are embracing clear weather after black clouds."

He added: "We could not promise that there would be no natural disasters but through human effort we could ensure that no war happen between the two sides."

He called the dialogue platform between the KMT and CPC an important asset for cross-Strait development.