Mainland official extends condolences over passing of veteran Taiwan pro-reunification advocate Hsu Li-nung

BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland's top Taiwan affairs official on Monday extended condolences to the family of veteran Taiwan pro-reunification advocate Hsu Li-nung, who passed away Sunday at a hospital in Taipei at the age of 106.

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, said that Hsu adhered to the one-China principle, pursued national reunification, and resolutely opposed "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.

In his message, Song said that Hsu has dedicated himself to promoting cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation and the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, earning the respect of patriotic forces both domestically and internationally, and emphasized that Hsu's tireless efforts and contributions will continue to inspire future generations in their pursuit of realizing the national reunification.

Born in April 1919 in Guichi, Anhui province, Hsu was a graduate of the Huangpu Military Academy, which was born out of the first cooperation between the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China and stood as the first academy cultivating military officers for the Chinese revolution.

At the age of 18, he joined China's resistance against Japanese aggression following the July 7th Incident in 1937. He relocated to Taiwan in 1949.

In the 1990s, Hsu grew increasingly critical of then KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui's pro-independence stance. Disillusioned, he left the KMT and joined the New Party. He later founded several pro-reunification groups, including the New Alliance Association, becoming a widely respected spiritual leader of Taiwan's pro-reunification groups.

A staunch proponent of cross-Strait reunification, Hsu led multiple delegations to the mainland. In 2014, he served as head of a major delegation of Taiwan's pro-reunification groups visiting the mainland.