Episode Details

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Friday that regardless of how the international landscape or the situation across the Taiwan Strait evolves, the overarching trend toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the prevailing momentum for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait to come closer together will not change.


He made the remarks on Friday during a meeting in Beijing with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party. This was the first meeting between the leaders of the CPC and the KMT since 2016, when Xi met in Beijing with then KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu.


Cheng is leading a KMT delegation on a six-day visit to the Chinese mainland at the invitation of Xi and the CPC Central Committee. Since arriving on Tuesday, the delegation has visited Jiangsu province and Shanghai, before traveling to Beijing.


Welcoming the delegation, Xi said the meeting is of great significance for the development of relations between the two parties and across the Taiwan Strait.


He said that people on both sides of the Strait hope for peace and tranquility, improved cross-Strait relations, and better lives. "This is a responsibility that the CPC and the KMT cannot shirk, and also a driving force for the two parties to work together," he said.


Xi expressed the willingness to work with all political parties in Taiwan, including the KMT, as well as groups and people from all sectors, to strengthen exchanges and dialogue, promote peace across the Taiwan Strait, improve the well-being of the people and advance national rejuvenation, on the basis of the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence".


In a four-point proposal on the development of cross-Strait relations, Xi called for forging closer bonds across the Strait by upholding a correct understanding of identity.


Highlighting that people on both sides of the Strait share common roots, culture and lineage, Xi said that as members of one family, as long as people communicate sincerely and consult one another when issues arise, there will be no differences or disputes that cannot be resolved.


"Differences in social systems should not be an excuse for secession," he stressed.


Xi called for safeguarding their shared homeland through peaceful development, noting that the core issue for safeguarding the shared homeland lies in recognizing that both sides of the Strait belong to one China.


"We welcome any proposals conducive to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and will spare no effort to advance any endeavors that promote such development," Xi said, adding that "Taiwan independence" is the chief culprit undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait. "We should neither condone nor tolerate it."


Xi emphasized the importance of enhancing people's well-being through greater exchanges and integration, saying that the goal of developing cross-Strait relations is to enable people on both sides to lead better lives.


Noting that the mainland boasts magnificent landscapes and a vast market, Xi said that Taiwan compatriots are welcome to visit the mainland, and he encouraged young people in Taiwan to seek development opportunities on the mainland. He added that Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products, as well as other quality goods, are welcome to enter households across the mainland.


Xi called for joint efforts to achieve national rejuvenation. "We firmly believe that more and more Taiwan compatriots will gain a correct understanding of the mainland's social system and development path," he said.


"They will recognize that Taiwan's development prosp