BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A senior official on the Chinese mainland has called for joint efforts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work toward the goals of national rejuvenation and national reunification.
Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in a New Year's message carried in the first issue of the "Relations Across Taiwan Strait" magazine in 2023.
Song said that the Chinese mainland maintained the initiative and ability to steer cross-Strait relations and united compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to advance cross-Strait ties in 2022.
Continued efforts were made in the year to make the historical merits of the Taiwan question and mainland's major principles and policies on work related to Taiwan clear to compatriots in Taiwan and to the international community, said Song.
The mainland took concrete measures to support Taiwan compatriots and businesses and help them resolve difficulties, noted Song.
China continued the fight against separatist activities and external intervention in affairs regarding Taiwan, effectively deterring external forces who attempted to use Taiwan to contain China, said Song.
"In 2023, we will uphold the policy of peaceful reunification and 'one country, two systems' and carry out extensive and in-depth discussions on cross-Strait ties and national reunification with people of foresight from various sectors of Taiwan society on the basis of one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus," Song said.
"We will resolutely defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and take firm action against separatist activities and external intervention," Song added. ■
