Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou called for cooperation and peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait on Saturday at a historical meeting held in Singapore, which marked the first face-to-face exchange and communication between leaders from the two sides since 1949.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of the 1992 Consensus, which endorses the one-China principle.

Xi said that he hopes the two sides across the Strait can work together and stick to the 1992 Consensus. He called for the people across the Strait to push forward peaceful development and enjoy the fruits together.

For his part, Ma said that the 1992 Consensus was the political foundation of the cross-Strait relationship, based on which both sides have reached 23 agreements, taking the relationship at its best in 66 years.

To further develop ties between the two sides, Ma suggested that both of them should push each other and deepen a pragmatic strategy, reduce animosity across the Strait, develop dialogue and establish hotlines.

Xi added that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are at a “historic juncture” and called for people on both sides to stick to peaceful cooperation and contribute to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Meanwhile, Xi also emphasized the importance of the family bonds that link both sides, saying that the Strait cannot prevent relatives and friends from missing each other.

CCTV’s Yang Zhao reports.

“No matter the difficulties, no power can separate us because we are kinsmen; blood is thicker than water,” Xi said.

“What’s behind us is the history of the cross-Strait relationship; we’ve decided to replace conflict with peaceful dialogue in the past few years,” Ma Ying-jeou said.

Key points of Xi’s speech:

• The Strait cannot prevent relatives and friends from missing each other.
• We are at a historic juncture; the people across the Strait should push forward peaceful development and enjoy the fruits together.
• I hope the two sides across the Strait can work together and stick to the 1992 Consensus.

Key points of Ma’s speech:
Ma offers five proposals for peaceful development.

• We have to stick to the 1992 Consensus, which is the political foundation of cross-Strait relationship.
• We have to reduce animosity across the Strait and develop dialogue.
• We need to expand cross strait communication, establish institutions on each other’s side and create win-win cooperation.
• We need to build hotlines on each other’s side to build China together.
• We should cooperate together to rejuvenate the Chinese nations for the benefit of our future generations.

Both leaders held a closed-door meeting after the speeches. After the closed-door meeting, Zhang Zhijun, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, briefed the press on the historical meeting.

Zhang said that leaders from both sides recalled the development of cross-Strait relations and talked about policies to further enhance the relation. He said that Xi told Ma China mainland would be committed to enhancing the relationship to work for Chinese rejuvenation to benefit people from both sides.

Zhang said Xi proposed four points to Ma:

• Mainland and Taiwan belong to one country, one nation; Mainland will honor the 1992 Consensus and hope Taiwan will also stick to it.
• China mainland holds the same attitude towards peaceful development and cooperation across the Strait; cross-Strait relations are no longer in period of confrontation and conflict.
• Xi said it is our focus to create development and focus on win-win cooperation; it is our wish to enhance mutual understanding and political willingness to solve cross-Strait issues.
• Zhang: Xi emphasized that people on both sides belong to one family, and as long as the family is well, both sides will prosper.

Chinese mainland and Taiwan announce first meeting of leaders since 1949

For the first time since 1949, the Chinese President and the Taiwan leader will meet to talk about relations between the two sides.