Xi Jinping outlines peaceful development of cross-Strait ties at NPC

NPC-CPPCC

Chinese President Xi Jinping (front R), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits members of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and joins their panel discussion in Beijing, capital of China, March 4, 2015. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)Chinese President Xi Jinping (front R), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits members of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and joins their panel discussion in Beijing, capital of China, March 4, 2015. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

A presidium elected by the third session of the 12th National People’s Congress, the national legislature of China, held its first meeting Wednesday morning in Beijing.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting attended by 167 members of the 172-member presidium.

The presidium approved the agenda for the third session of the 12th NPC, scheduled for March 5-15. The meeting also set March 10 as the deadline for the NPC deputies to submit proposals.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday stressed the peaceful development of the cross-Strait ties, urging high vigilance against “Taiwan independence”.

Peace is valuable and should be safeguarded, Xi told the political advisers from the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang party, the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League party, and the All China Confederation of Taiwan Compatriots.

The president urged the compatriots across the Strait to carefully protect the fruit of the peaceful development of the cross-Strait ties.

The separatist forces of the “Taiwan independence” and their activities threaten the national sovereignty and the territorial integrity, said Xi, adding that they are the biggest hindrance to the peaceful development of the cross-Strait ties, biggest threat of the cross-Strait stability and therefore should be resolutely opposed.

Xi urged all compatriots to pursue peaceful development, adhere to the common political basis, bring benefits to the people across the Strait, and join hands to realize the national revitalization.

Despite difficulties, cross-Strait relations maintained a momentum of peace and development last year.

Fundamentally, the key factor deciding where the cross-Strait ties go is the development and progress of the Chinese mainland, Xi said.

The president stressed the importance of adherence to the 1992 Consensus, which he said the Chinese mainland has been regarding as the basis and precondition for conducting exchanges with Taiwan authorities and parties.

“The core of it is to acknowledge that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China,” he added.

Story compiled with information from CCTV News.