Beijing, April 29
Meeting for the first time since a civil war ended in 1949, the leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and Taiwan's main Opposition KMT today jointly opposed independence for the island and agreed to work together to reduce tensions between the two sides.

Chinese President Hu Jintao met Taiwan's main Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) leader Lien Chan here, the highest-level political contact between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits since 1949.

The CPC and the KMT agreed to make joint efforts to promote the formal end of the state of hostility across the Taiwan Straits, according to a press communique released after their landmark meeting here at the Great Hall of the People.

It said the CPC and the KMT have reached a consensus to adhere to the 1992 consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence".

China and Taiwan had agreed in 1992, when the island was under the KMT rule, to a consensus that the island and the mainland belonged to "one China."

The communique said the two sides also agreed to discuss the issue of Taiwan's participation in international activities after the resumption of dialogue across the Taiwan Straits.

"Priority will be given to the discussion about Taiwan's participation in activities of the World Health Organisation," it said.

"The two sides will join hands to create conditions and find a way out step-by-step," it said.

The two parties will also work together for reaching a peace accord and establish a framework for peaceful and steady development of cross-straits relations, including a mechanism of military mutual trust, in order to avoid military conflicts between the two sides of the straits.

They have reached consensus on a wide range of issues regarding the promotion for the early resumption of cross-straits dialogue, the signing of a peace accord and the building of a mechanism for military mutual trust, the communique said.

Lien, the first leader of the KMT to set foot on Chinese soil since the civil war ended in 1949, is currently on a 'peace mission' to China at the invitation of Hu, also General Secretary of the ruling CPC.

Lien's eight-day China visit comes amid new tensions between Beijing and Taipei after the former passed a new law authorising the use of force if self-ruled Taiwan formally declares statehood.

Both sides said it is the common stance of the CPC and the KMT to seek ways for the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, promote the cross-straits relations, and safeguard the interests for people across the Taiwan Straits.

The two parties also agreed to carry out all-round economic cooperation, cement economic and trade relations and promote the "three direct links" across the Taiwan Straits. — PTI

Washington, April 29
The Pentagon’s top military intelligence officer said on Thursday that North Korea had the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear device, stunning senators he was addressing and prompting attempts by other defence and intelligence officials later to play down the impact.

The statement by Vice-Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby before the Senate Armed Services Committee marked the first time that a US official had publicly attributed such a capability to North Korea.

Although US intelligence authorities have said for years that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons and could likely reach the United States with its long-range rockets, they had stopped short of asserting that North Korea had mastered the difficult task of miniaturising a nuclear device to fit atop a ballistic missile.

But several Senate staff members who witnessed the testimony and have access to US intelligence on North Korea indicated that Jacoby’s comments did in fact reflect some recent information they had seen, although they expressed surprise that the Admiral had gone public with the new assessment.

President Bush, speaking at a news conference on Thursday night about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, said: “There is concern about his capacity to deliver a nuclear weapon. We don’t know if he can or not, but I think it’s best, when you’re dealing with a tyrant like Kim Jong Il, to assume he can.”

Jacoby’s remarks were made in response to questions from Sen. Hillary Rodman Clinton, D-N.Y. Senate aides said the questions had been carefully crafted in consultation with the committee staff.

“Admiral, let me ask you, do you assess that North Korea has the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear device?” Clinton said.

“The assessment is that they have the capability to do that, yes, ma’am,” Jacoby replied. — By arrangement with the LA Times-Washington Post

Islamabad, April 29
The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy on Thursday asked the government to allow Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif to return to the country if it wanted reconciliation with the Opposition parties.

Briefing newsmen after a meeting of the leaders of the component parties of the alliance, ARD Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said talks for reconciliation could be held only with Ms Bhutto and Mr Sharif and the government should take immediate steps for their return to prove its sincerity.

He said the ARD leaders had, through a resolution, demanded removal of all obstacles in the return of Ms Bhutto and Mr Sharif, as their presence in the country was indispensable for national solidarity and vital interests of Pakistan.

Mr Jhagra said the ARD was concerned over the situation in Baluchistan and its leaders had decided to visit Dera Bugti next month to express solidarity with Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Bugti and assess the situation in the province.

He said the ARD had postponed a visit to the province earlier when the government announced that it was ready to hold talks with Mr Bugti.

However, it seemed that the government was not sincere in resolving the Baluchistan problem as the situation in the province was still tense due to the presence of a large number of troops and Frontier Constabulary men there, he said.

JWP leader Senator Amanullah Kanrani apprised the newsmen about the latest situation in Baluchistan.

He said the people of Balochistan were facing a war-like situation.

He alleged that the security agencies, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI), had kidnapped and detained about 5,000 persons of Bugti, Marri, Bangalzai and other tribes. He said police officials had confessed before the Balochistan High Court that the people arrested by them had been taken into custody by the ISI and the MI.

The JWP leader asked the government to withdraw troops from the province if it wanted peace there.

He said it was ironical that President Pervez Musharraf was asking India to withdraw its troops from Kashmir to have peace in the region while, on the other hand, he was constantly increasing the number of troops in Balochistan.