Official urges right path for mainland-Taiwan relations development

Zhang Zhijun (R), director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, meets with Andrew Hsia, the cross-Strait affairs chief of Taiwan, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Oct 14, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

GUANGZHOU -- Zhang Zhijun, director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, stressed the Chinese mainland and Taiwan should choose the right path for development of cross-Strait relations.

Zhang made the remarks during a 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 follow the historic trend, consider public opinion and see 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 even reached a perilous brink at one point, Zhang said that since 2008, the two sides have managed to steer 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 welcomed 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.

The two sides agreed that the mainland and Taiwan should continue communication between their cross-Strait affairs agencies in multiple forms and improve the efficiency in handling cross-Strait issues.

They also agreed with each other that the two sides of the Strait should carry on the negotiations of further cross-Strait agreements including those regarding a hopeful pact on trade in goods and one on environmental protection.

Furthermore, they pledged to create a more fair and effective investment environment to boost investors' confidence, work for the earlier implementation of existing agreements on service trade, taxation and air safety, improve the cross-Strait tourism market and promote cross-Strait exchanges for youth, culture and education.

Hsia arrived in Guangzhou on Tuesday afternoon for his first mainland visit since he took office in February.

At a press conference held after the meeting, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said that the most important experience in promoting cross-Strait development is to adhere to the "1992 Consensus".

"This consensus is not a groundless presentation but a mutual recognition of the realistic facts and situations agreed by the two sides' authorized parties," Ma said, calling on the two sides to safeguard this common basis for cross-Strait ties development and promote the peace and development across the Strait for the common interests of compatriots on both sides.