Mainland spokesman reiterates stand on Taiwan

As Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the historic meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou, the first of its kind between leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since 1949, a mainland spokesman reaffirmed that upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" remain essential to maintaining peace and stability across the Strait.

Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Friday that the meeting between leaders across the Strait on Nov 7, 2015, was a significant milestone in the development of cross-Strait relations. He noted that the meeting consolidated the 1992 Consensus as the political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

Ma, former leader of Taiwan and former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, wrote on social media on Friday that the meeting left a valuable legacy for both sides of the Strait, particularly in promoting "institutionalized cross-Strait exchanges" and fostering peace and stability that have benefited people on both sides.

The significance of the meeting was also underscored at a seminar in Taipei attended by KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wun, who emphasized the crucial role of the 1992 Consensus in cross-Strait relations.

"The meeting demonstrates that Chinese people on both sides of the Strait have the capability and wisdom to resolve issues within the nation and to keep the destiny of the Chinese nation in our own hands," said Chen, the spokesman.

Chen said that the meeting a decade ago, along with the subsequent developments, has proven that as long as both sides uphold the 1992 Consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence", peace and stability across the Strait can be maintained, and the well-being of compatriots on both sides can be enhanced.

He also warned that denying the 1992 Consensus and deviating from the one-China principle while pursuing a "Taiwan independence" separatist agenda would only fuel confrontation between the two sides and make dialogue across the Strait impossible.

"Reunification is the trend of history and the right path, while 'Taiwan independence' is a historical countercurrent and a dead end," Chen said, emphasizing that "only by resolving political confrontation across the Strait as soon as possible and advancing toward the complete reunification of the motherland can lasting peace be ensured."

The mainland is willing to strengthen dialogue, communication, and exchanges with the KMT and other political parties, groups, and representative figures in Taiwan, based on the shared political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence", to jointly promote the development of cross-Strait relations and improve the well-being of all compatriots, Chen added.

In his post, Ma also urged Lai Ching-te, the current leader of the island, to return to the shared political foundation of both sides to steer cross-Strait relations away from the brink of war. He called for taking concrete and practical steps to improve current cross-Strait ties, thereby safeguarding regional stability.