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Cross-Straits negotiator bid farewell
By Zou Huilin (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-31 07:06
SHANGHAI: Thousands of officials and Shanghai residents attended the Friday
morning funeral of Wang Daohan, a former Shanghai mayor who served as the
country's long-time envoy on Taiwan affairs. Wang died on December 24 at the age
of 90.
Wang was the president of the mainland-based Association
for the Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) before he died.
Chinese Vice-President Zeng
Qinghong walks past the coffin of Wang Daohan in Longhua
Funeral House in Shanghai, December 30,
2005. [Newsphoto] |
Though the funeral was officially open at 10 am, many visitors gathered at
the grand hall of the Longhua Funeral Parlour as early as 8 o'clock, some of
whom brought with them self-made wreaths.
The pair of calligraphic couplets hanging at the gate of the hall paid
tribute to Wang, the man who helped to promote economic, technological and
cultural exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan Province, hand in hand with
Koo Chen-fu, the late chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation
(SEF).
Wang, in his favourite black suit, was lying above the bed made of white and
yellow flowers, surrounded by flower baskets and wreaths sent by his family. The
wreaths from President Hu Jintao, former president Jiang Zemin, Premier Wen
Jiabao and Vice-President Zeng Qinghong, were placed in the middle of the hall's
front part.
A number of renowned scholars and well-known figures also sent condolences to
Wang's family. A group of Taiwan personages arrived on Thursday for the funeral
service.
By 7 pm Thursday, those who had arrived in Shanghai included Yen Cho-yun,
widow of Koo, Chiu Cheyne, former secretary-general of SEF, Wu Poh-hsiung,
vice-chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, Chin Chin-sheng,
secretary-general of the People First Party (PFP), and Yok Mu-ming, chairman of
the New Party. Among them were also representatives of the Hsin Tungmung Hui and
the Alliance for the Reunification of China.
Lawrence J. Lau, vice-chancellor of the Chinese University
of Hong Kong, was also present.
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