Xi Jinping meets Ma Ying-jeou in Beijing

BEIJING — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, met with Ma Ying-jeou and his entourage in Beijing on April 10.

Xi said 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 a long-standing, brilliant and unprecedented Chinese civilization, of which the sons and daughters of the nation feel proud and honored. He said that the history of the Chinese nation, which spans more than 5,000 years, has seen successive generations of ancestors move to and settle in Taiwan, live and procreate there, and have seen the compatriots from both sides of the Straits fight side by side to defend 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 the people across the strait are linked by blood.

The people on both sides of the strait are all Chinese. There is no knot that cannot be untied, no issue that cannot be discussed, and no force that can tear us apart. The distance of the strait cannot sever the kinship ties between compatriots across the strait, he said. The difference in political systems does not change the reality that the two sides of the Straits belong to one China and one nation, Xi said. External interference cannot slow down the historic trend of national reunification, and all Chinese people on both sides of the Strait have come down in one continuous line, acted in solidarity, and reached out to each other in adversity while throughout history, Xi noted.

Young people are the hope of the country and the future of the nation. The two sides of the Strait will only have a prosperous future if their young people have high aspirations, Xi said. He encouraged young people on both sides of the Strait to aspire to become more proud, more confident and more assured of their identity as Chinese people, work together for the long-term prosperity of the Chinese nation, and continue to create a new glory for the nation. .

Xi stressed that people on both sides of the Strait share the same lineage, culture and history, and, more importantly, the same responsibility to the nation and the same aspiration for the future. “We should approach 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 common home of the Chinese nation. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation and its civilization have survived and prospered despite vicissitudes and difficulties. The bottom line is that the Chinese nation has always held the common belief that the motherland cannot be divided, the country cannot be destabilized, its ethnic groups cannot be separated, and its civilization cannot be disrupted. . A strong and united country has always been the pillar on which the future of all Chinese people, including their compatriots in Taiwan, depends. All Chinese people on both sides of the Strait should firmly oppose any separatist moves by the secessionists on the island and the interference of external forces, firmly safeguard the common home of the Chinese nation, and work together to pursue a bright future towards peaceful reunification. The future of the Chinese nation must be firmly in the hands of the Chinese people.

Xi noted that all Chinese people on both sides of the Strait hope for a peaceful home and harmonious family life. To achieve this, it is imperative to promote the peaceful development of relations between the two shores. The key is to adhere to the 1992 Consensus embodying the One-China principle, while the essential lies in developing a common understanding of the fundamental fact that the people on both sides of the Strait belong to one country. and to one nation. As long as no attempt is made to separate the island from its motherland, as long as a consensus is reached that both sides are Chinese of one family, compatriots on both sides of the strait can sit down and discuss matters within the same family. family to promote mutual understanding, accumulate mutual trust, resolve differences and seek consensus.

Second, we must 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 the ultimate goal of the development of cross-Strait relations. Jointly creating long-term prosperity for the Chinese nation is both an ambitious and simple goal. It is about realizing the aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the Strait for a happy life, so that all Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan, can live a better life and realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation together. We have the ability 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 on Taiwan to create a better future.

We have always been concerned about the well-being of our Taiwanese compatriots, and we first shared with our Taiwanese compatriots the development opportunities brought about by China's modernization, as well as the achievements brought about by the development and progress of the mainland. We help Taiwanese compatriots solve their problems, so as to bring them more benefits, further improve their well-being and guarantee them a better future, Xi said.

Third, we must firmly forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, Xi said. During the long history of the Chinese nation, all its sons and daughters jointly established the territory of our motherland that includes Taiwan, wrote Chinese history, created Chinese culture and promoted its national character, he declared. Chinese people on both sides of the strait have always been one family, so they often need to interact with each other, which will bring them closer and promote their kinship. We will take effective measures to promote cross-Strait communication, exchanges and integration, so that people across the Strait understand each other better through communication, trust each other more through exchanges and treat each other With all my heart. We sincerely invite all Taiwan compatriots to visit the mainland as much as possible, and we are happy to see that people from the mainland are visiting 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 that compatriots on both sides have greater confidence in Chinese culture and consciously become its guardians, heirs 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 essential to remain determined to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Through a century of struggle and toil, we have successfully paved the way for China's modernization, and bright prospects for national rejuvenation are in sight. We not only realized Dr. Sun Yat-sen's plan, but we also achieved much more than he imagined. The wheels of history are rolling toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, in which all Chinese people on both sides of the Strait have devoted their efforts. This great mission requires the concerted and continuous efforts of all Chinese people on both sides of the Strait and will ultimately be achieved. Young people on both sides will have much to accomplish and achieve much.

Young people in Taiwan are invited to pursue, build and realize their dreams on the mainland. We will continue to create better conditions and more opportunities for young people on both sides to flourish and realize their full potential. Xi expressed hope that young people on both sides will learn from each other, enjoy each other's company, and walk with one heart with each other, taking up the baton handed down to them by history and contributing to the achievement of national renewal.

Xi said that on April 3, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the waters near Taiwan's Hualien County and caused casualties and property losses. I mourn the victims and extend my sympathies to the residents of the affected areas.

Ma said upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing “Taiwan independence” constitutes the common political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Taiwan Strait relations. People on both sides of the strait are Chinese. Therefore, we should deepen exchanges and cooperation, jointly transmit Chinese culture, promote the well-being of the people of both sides of the Strait, and make joint efforts for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Taiwan youth representatives present at the meeting delivered speeches.

Wang Huning, Cai Qi and other senior officials attended the meeting.