BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Ma Ying-jeou and his entourage in Beijing on April 10.
Xi said that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the Chinese nation. The Chinese nation is one of the greatest nations in the world, having created the long-standing, brilliant, and unparalleled Chinese civilization, which sons and daughters of the nation feel proud of and honored for. He said that the Chinese nation's history of over 5,000 years has witnessed successive generations of ancestors move and settle down in Taiwan, their lives and procreation there, and saw the compatriots from both sides of the Strait fight side by side in the defense against foreign aggression and the recovery of Taiwan. Along the way, the Chinese nation has written the history that Taiwan and the mainland are inseparable and engraved the historical fact that people across the Strait are connected by blood.
People on both sides of the Strait are all Chinese. There is no knot that cannot be untied, no issues that cannot be discussed, and no force that can separate us. The distance of the Strait cannot sever the bond of kinship between compatriots from across the Strait, he said. The difference in political systems does not alter the reality that both sides of the Strait belong to one China and one nation, Xi said. External interference cannot hold back the historical trend of national reunification, and all Chinese on both sides of the Strait have come down in one continuous line, acted in solidarity, and reached out to each other in adversity throughout history, Xi noted.
The youth are the hope of the country and the future of the nation. Both sides of the Strait will have a prosperous future only when their youth have high aspirations, Xi said. He encouraged young people from both sides of the Strait to aspire to become more proud, confident, and assured in their identity as Chinese people, work together for the long-term prosperity of the Chinese nation, and continue to create new glory of the nation.
Xi stressed that people on both sides of the Strait share the same bloodline, culture and history, and more importantly, the same responsibility for the nation and the same aspiration for the future. "We should grasp the cross-Strait situation by taking into consideration the overall interests and long-term development of the Chinese nation," Xi said.
First, it is important to firmly safeguard the shared home of the Chinese nation. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation and its civilization have survived and thrived through vicissitudes and hardships. The key is that the Chinese nation always holds the common belief that the homeland cannot be divided, the country cannot be destabilized, its ethnic groups cannot be separated, and its civilization cannot be disrupted. A strong and unified country has always been the pillar upon which the future of all the Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan, depends. All Chinese on both sides of the Strait should firmly oppose any separatist moves of secessionists on the island and interference by external forces, firmly safeguard the common home of the Chinese nation, and work together to pursue a bright future for peaceful reunification. The future of the Chinese nation should be firmly held in the hands of the Chinese people.
Xi noted that all Chinese on both sides of the Strait are anticipating a peaceful home and harmonious family life. To achieve this, it is imperative to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. The key is to adhere to the 1992 Consensus embodying the one-China principle, while the essence lies in developing a common understanding of the fundamental fact that people on both sides of the Strait belong to one country and one nation. As long as no attempt is made to split the island from its motherland, as long as the consensus is reached that both sides are Chinese of one family, compatriots on both sides of the Strait can sit down and talk with each other on affairs within a family to promote mutual understanding, accumulate mutual trust, resolve differences, and seek consensus.
Second, we need to work together for the long-term prosperity of the Chinese nation. Working for the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Strait is both the starting point and ultimate goal of developing cross-Strait relations. To jointly create the long-term prosperity for the Chinese nation is a very grand yet simple goal. That is to realize the aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the Strait for a happy life, so that all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, can live a better life and jointly realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. We have the capability to lead more than 1.4 billion compatriots on the mainland to a better life, and we are also fully capable of working with our compatriots in Taiwan to create a better future.
We have always been caring about the well-being of Taiwan compatriots, and we have shared the development opportunities from Chinese modernization with Taiwan compatriots first, as well as the achievements from the mainland's development and progress. We have been helping Taiwan compatriots solve problems for them, so as to bring them more benefits, further improve their well-being and ensure that they have a better future, Xi said.
Third, we must firmly forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, Xi said. In the long history of the Chinese nation, all its sons and daughters jointly established the territory of our motherland which includes Taiwan, wrote the history of China, created the Chinese culture and fostered its national character, he said. Chinese people on both sides of the Strait have always been one family, thus they should often interact with each other, which will bring them closer and promote their kinship. We will take effective measures to promote communication, exchanges and integration across the Strait, so that people from across the Strait will better understand each other through communication, have more trust of each other through exchanges, and treat each other with all heart. We sincerely welcome all Taiwan compatriots to visit the mainland as much as possible, and we are happy to see that people from the mainland visit Taiwan as much as possible, Xi said.
Chinese culture, the soul of the Chinese nation, is the spiritual home of all Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. It is imperative for compatriots on both sides to have greater confidence in Chinese culture and consciously become its guardians, inheritors and promoters. They should strengthen the sense of belonging, identity and honor of the Chinese nation so as to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
Fourth, it is a must to remain committed to achieving the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Thanks to a century of struggle and toil, we have successfully blazed a path to Chinese modernization, and the bright prospects of national rejuvenation are in sight. We have not only realized the blueprint of Dr. Sun Yat-sen but also achieved far more than what he had envisioned. The wheels of history are rolling on toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, into which all Chinese on both sides of the Strait have poured their endeavors. This great mission requires the concerted and continuous efforts of all Chinese on both sides of the Strait and will eventually be realized. Young people on both sides will have much to achieve and achieve much.
Young people from Taiwan are welcome to pursue, build and realize their dreams on the mainland. We will continue to create better conditions and more opportunities for young people from both sides to grow and live to their full potential. Xi expressed the hope that young people from both sides will learn from each other, enjoy each other's company, and walk with one heart with each other, taking the baton passed on to them by history and contributing to the realization of national rejuvenation.
Xi said, on April 3, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the waters near Hualien County in Taiwan and caused casualties and property loss. I mourn for the victims and extend my sympathies to the people in the affected areas.
Ma said that upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" are the common political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. People from both sides of the Strait are Chinese. Therefore, we should deepen exchanges and cooperation, pass on Chinese culture together, advance the well-being of people from both sides of the Strait, and make joint efforts toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Representatives of young people from Taiwan attending the meeting gave speeches.
Wang Huning, Cai Qi and other senior officials attended the meeting. ■
