After CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping met with Kuomintang opposition party chairwoman Cheng Liwen from Taiwan, the CCP’s central party organ People’s Daily stated that “people on both sides of the Strait are one family,” and that differences in social systems are not an excuse for division nor should they be used as a tool to incite confrontation.
On Saturday, People’s Daily published a commentary by “Zhong Caiping,” stating that after 10 years, the Kuomintang chairman once again led a delegation to visit mainland China, “which is an important step in the new context of KMT-CCP exchanges and dialogue, meets the needs of cross-strait relations, accords with the common wishes of compatriots on both sides, and serves the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation.”
The article argues that strengthening exchanges and dialogue between the KMT and CCP is of great significance for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and promoting the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, stating, “When a family lives together, as long as they communicate well and consult on matters, there is no disagreement that cannot be resolved.”
The article also says that differences in social systems are not an excuse for division nor should they be used as tools to incite confrontation or distort identity. With mutual respect, strengthened exchanges, and deepened integration, Chinese people on both sides of the Strait have the wisdom and ability to properly resolve the Taiwan issue, and can surely push cross-strait relations forward.
The article states, “We are all family, and hope for each other’s well-being. No one wants better cross-strait relations more than we do; we hope our compatriots in Taiwan can live peaceful, safe, and prosperous lives. But for any ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities, we will never tolerate or condone them, and will resolutely strike back. ‘Taiwan independence’ cannot bring peace or prosperity—only keeping the family together can ensure success in everything.”
The article points out that the recent “Xi-Cheng Meeting” sent an important signal: based on the shared political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing ‘Taiwan independence,’ “Chinese should help Chinese, and we welcome any proposals conducive to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and will do everything possible to promote anything beneficial for peace across the Strait.”
The article concludes, as long as people on both sides “constantly enhance their ambition, backbone, and confidence as Chinese, firmly oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ and external interference, move toward each other, and steadfastly safeguard our common home of the Chinese nation, work for peace across the Strait, seek well-being for compatriots, and national rejuvenation, then we will surely keep the future of cross-strait relations firmly in the hands of the Chinese people themselves.”
On Friday in Beijing, Xi Jinping met with Cheng Liwen, with both sides’ remarks closely echoing each other in their political expressions, centering on upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing ‘Taiwan independence,’ framing cross-strait relations within the grand narrative of the Chinese nation and civilization, and placing peace as the core theme of the meeting.