Zhang Zhijun, director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, stressed the Chinese mainland and Taiwan should choose a right path for the development of cross-Strait relations. Zhang made the remarks during a work meeting with Taiwan"s cross-Strait affairs chief Andrew Hsia in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, on Wednesday morning. Noting that the development of cross-Strait ties has once again come to a key point, Zhang said both sides of the Strait should take the historic trend, the public opinion and the need to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into account when making decisions and to follow the right direction for peaceful development. He said the mainland and Taiwan are inseparable to each other and share a common destiny. He also called on the two sides to adhere to the political basis of upholding the "1992 Consensus" and oppose "Taiwan independence", to get over difficulties and make joint efforts for the Chinese nation"s renewal and the people"s happiness. "The cross-Strait over the past 60-plus years revealed that different paths for the cross-Strait relations will lead to different results," Zhang said. Mentioning that the cross-Strait situation has experienced some choppy times and has even reached a perilous brink at one point, Zhang said that since 2008, the two sides have managed to steer the cross-Strait ties toward the direction of peaceful development which has yielded fruitful achievements and brought about practical benefits for the public on both sides. "It has been proven that the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties is a right path and it has been endorsed by the public on both sides and welcome by the international community," he said. Hsia said the achievements made over the last seven years in cross-Strait development must be cherished and protected, noting that the "1992 Consensus" is a foundation for the normal exchanges between Taiwan and the mainland. The core of the "1992 Consensus" is the acknowledgment that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China. Some of the problems existing between the two sides may not be solved in a day, but require both sides to be realistic, accumulate consensus and use rational thinking, patience and perseverance, Hsia said. He said that despite some outside opinions and guesses on the prospect of cross-Strait ties, the majority of people in Taiwan entertain the hope for peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait. "I believe it is also the common wish of all relevant parties in this region," he added. Hsia further called on the two sides to continue the cross-Strait institutional consultations and strengthen exchanges to face the challenges and complexity in cross-Strait relations together. Hsia arrived in Guangzhou on Tuesday afternoon for his first mainland visit since he took office in February. |
