The epoch-making meeting between Hu Jintao and Lien Chan, top leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, were highly appraised by Hong Kong personnel from various walks of life Saturday.

A number of interviewed personnel told Xinhua that the meeting is of historic significance with far reaching influence.

Anthony C. A. Wong, president of Hong Kong Region China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, said in an interview with Xinhua that the meeting of the two party leaders is a sign of peace, which will not only help maintain peace across

the Taiwan Strait and advance the great cause of the reunification, but will also help maintain peace and stability in the Asian Pacific region..

He said the meeting opened a gate of hope to Taiwan business community and if the five-point consensus can be put into practice, it will be a stimulus for Taiwan enterprises and help push Taiwan on a sound development track.

Suen Cheung Mou, general director of the Alumni Association of Huang Pu Military Academy of Hong Kong, said the meeting of the two party leaders is extremely successful with far reaching influence to the cross-Strait relations and the future of Taiwan.

Suen, who has been a member of KMT for about 62 years, told Xinhua that he "felt the warm air of spring" from the meeting. He said, "the meeting is successful to both sides. It is a win-win communication, which reflects a breakthrough in mainland policy of Taiwan affairs.

The mainland showed its good will through the meeting and it is helpful to promote the exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and speed up the pace of reunification. The five-point consensus is a fatal strike to those who support Taiwan independence.

Qiu Zhenhai, commentator of Phoenix TV, said in an interview with Xinhua that the meeting of the two party leaders and the consensus reached through the meeting showed the wisdom of the Chinese people, which has an outstanding meaning to the reconciliation of the two parties, the stable development of cross-Strait relations and the future of the whole nation. To give up the feud and hold hands for the future is an extraordinary achievement for both parties.

He said the reaction of the Taiwan authority has lost its direction. However, the international community has given positive and favorable comments on the meeting. The five-point consensus reached through the meeting covered all the issues that Taiwan

people concerned with and showed the framework for healthy development of cross-Strait relations.

Qiu said, it is an important achievement for Lien's visit to the mainland. The five-point consensus is a promise to Taiwan people from the Chinese Communist Party. The Party will keep its promise so long as the Taiwan authority admit the 1992 consensus.

The direction of cross-Strait relations development depends on the position of the ruling party of Taiwan.