The visiting New Party delegation and Taiwan businessmen in the mainland city of Dalian called for the Taiwan authorities to remove barriers to the "three direct links" across the Taiwan Straits during their meeting Saturday.

"The Taiwan authorities have been obstructing the 'three direct links' because the current leaders want to cut off ties across the Straits," said Yok Mu-ming, chairman of the New Party in Taiwan, during the meeting with 38 Taiwan businessmen.

"We will join hands with the other parties of the Pan-Blue alliance in Taiwan to advance 'three direct links'," he said, adding his party will also forward the thoughts of Taiwan businessmen to mainland authorities and work hard in Taiwan for the "three direct links."

The New Party chairman is leading a 30-member delegation on an eight-day visit to the mainland under the theme of commemorating the 60th anniversary of China's victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

He said as members of the Chinese nation, the delegation is making this trip to recall the past, treasure the present and create a better future.

"In the past, our country was constantly bullied by foreign powers and our compatriots were cruelly killed because the country was divided and not united," he said. "We must not forget this part of history. Now the Chinese people both on the mainland and in Taiwan should be united."

Lu Tiewu, president of the Dalian Association of Taiwan-funded Businesses, said realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the common aspiration of compatriots across the Taiwan Straits.

He expressed the belief that the New Party's mainland visit would help improve cross-Straits relations and in the end bring benefits to compatriots on both sides.

The delegation also visited the Wanzhong Cemetery in Dalian Saturday morning, and paid homage to Chinese compatriots killed in the 1894 Sino-Japanese war.

Situated in Lushunkou District of Dalian, the Wanzhong Cemetery was built in commemoration of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 launched by Japanese imperialism to annex Korea and invade China.

Yok Mu-ming presented a wreath to the cemetery on behalf of the New Party and mourned for those dead compatriots.

Yok Mu-ming told reporters that Nanjing, Dalian and many other places in China experienced sufferings and woes of wars and many innocent compatriots were killed by invaders.

The New Party delegation paid homage to those dead compatriots, with the aim to arouse all Chinese people to make concerted effort for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

According to historical records, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 broke out in July that year. The Japanese invaders conquered Lushunkou on Nov. 21, 1894, looting and killing the locals for four days.

Nearly 20,000 Chinese were slaughtered in the rampage, with only 36 survivors.

The delegation arrived in the mainland Wednesday afternoon and has been to Guangzhou and Nanjing before Dalian. It left Dalian for Beijing Sunday morning for the last leg of its four-city visit.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2005)