President Xi stresses cross-Strait peaceful development

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 on Wednesday stressed the peaceful development of the cross-Strait ties, urging high vigilance against the Taiwan independence.[Special coverage]

He made the remarks while joining a panel discussion with members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) who are gathering for an annual session in Beijing.

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

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

"The separatist forces of the 'Taiwan independence' and their activities threat the national sovereignty and the territorial integrity," he said.

"They are the biggest hindrance for the peaceful development of the cross-Strait ties, biggest threat of the cross-Strait stability and therefore should be resolutely opposed," Xi added.

He called on the compatriots to keep high vigilance against the "Taiwan independence" forces.

"We should unswervingly pursue peaceful development, unswervingly adhere to the common political basis, unswervingly bring benefits to the people across the Strait and unswervingly join hands to realize the national revitalization," Xi said.

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

Fundamentally, the key factor deciding where the cross-Strait ties goes 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.

As long as they can hold on to this, there will be no communication obstacles between any Taiwan parties or organizations and the Chinese mainland, Xi said.

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

The annual session of the CPPCC National Committee that opened Tuesday is scheduled to run for 10 days.