Party meet to set tone on Taiwan

The upcoming 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will chart the direction of Beijing's future policy toward Taiwan, a senior mainland official said yesterday.

"In accordance with the cross-Straits situation as well as its development, the 17th national congress will decide on the guiding thought and main tasks," Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a regular news briefing.

"It will be of great importance to promote the development of cross-Straits relations and push forward the peaceful reunification process."