China’s Xi stresses ‘One China’ to Taiwan opposition

By Mahmut Atanur

BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with representatives of Taiwan’s opposition party Tuesday and stressed the “importance of adherence” to a 1992 Consensus based on the “one China” principle.

State news agency Xinhua reported that Xi also told the delegation led by Hung Hsiu-chu, leader of the nationalist Kuomintang party, of the need to maintain the peaceful development of relations between the mainland and Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province.

"To ensure national integrity and protect the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation is the common will of all Chinese people," he said.

Over the weekend, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) -- which secured its first majority in the island’s parliament in a January election -- had urged Hung -- known for her pro-China stance -- to call on Beijing to "squarely face the fact that the Republic of China [Taiwan] exists".

The DPP has been known to object to the 1992 Consensus and the "one China" principle it entails -- which Beijing insists on as the basis of cross-Taiwan Strait ties.

Taiwan’s official Central News Agency cited a statement by the DPP’s department of China Affairs director, Chao Tien-lin, as saying that the party “was pleased to see the KMT delegation participating in a cross-strait peace and development forum”.

Chao added, however, that "no political strings should be attached to such exchanges" -- which he referred to as a "civilian exchange activity".

Since Chinese nationalist leaders fled to Taiwan in 1949 after a brutal civil war with Mao Zedong's Communists, China has seen the region as a breakaway province that will eventually return.

In June, Beijing suspended a communication mechanism with Taipei after the DPP, a traditionally pro-independence party, took power in the island territory.