Chinese President Hu Jintao said Saturday at a New Year tea party that China will strive to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully with the greatest sincerity and utmost efforts.

"But we absolutely cannot allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China by any means," Hu said at a party held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

He urged the CPPCC to unify the Chinese compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, overseas Chinese and friends both at home and abroad to promote global campaigns against any attempt to separate Taiwan from the motherland.

Hu said in the new year the Chinese government will stick to its consistent and clear policy toward Taiwan, namely the basic principle of peaceful reunification and "one country, two systems," and the eight-point proposal on promoting the development of the cross-Straits relations and maintain the stability of the Straits area.

He called for resuming cross-Straits talks and negotiation based on the one-China principle as early as possible, but said China will never tolerate any attempt to separate Taiwan.

"The Chinese government and people will firmly safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Hu said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2005)