Mainland official calls for confidence, new progress in cross-Strait ties

BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- A senior official on the Chinese mainland Friday called for firm confidence and joint efforts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to foster new progress in the development of cross-Strait relations.

Liu Jieyi, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in a New Year's message carried in the first issue of the "Relations Across the Taiwan Strait" magazine in 2021.

Calling 2020 an extraordinary year in cross-Strait relations, Liu said the mainland has put people's lives and health first amid the COVID-19 pandemic, cared for Taiwan compatriots the same way as it treated people on the mainland and fully supported Taiwan enterprises in resuming work and production.

Although the Democratic Progressive Party authorities went further to obstruct cross-Strait relations in 2020, the mainland continued to deepen integrated development across the Strait, and pushed forward exchanges and cooperation to overcome difficulties, Liu noted in the article.

Facing a complicated cross-Strait situation, the mainland has firmly and vigorously safeguarded national sovereignty as well as peace and stability across the Strait, he said.

The mainland will adhere to the 1992 Consensus and the one-China principle, and resolutely oppose separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence," Liu said.

"We will promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Straits relations and advance the process toward national reunification," he said. Enditem