Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, underlined on Wednesday the stronger engagement, better understanding and mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait based on the recognition that both sides of the Strait belong to one nation.

▲Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Photo by Ju Peng / Xinhua]

Meeting in Beijing with a Taiwan delegation led by Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomin­tang party, Xi said that "external interference cannot stop the historical trend of reunion of the family and the country".

"Compatriots on both sides of the Strait are all Chinese people. There are no knots that cannot be untied, no issues that cannot be discussed, and no forces that can separate us," he told the delegation, mainly comprising young students from the island.

He emphasized that the distance of the Strait cannot sever the kinship and affection between compatriots on both sides, while the difference in systems cannot change the fact that both sides belong to one country and one nation.

Xi reiterated that adhering to the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, is the key to promoting peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

As long as no separatist activities are performed and people on both sides of the Strait realize that they are all Chinese people and part of one family, compatriots on both sides can sit down, engage in interactions about family matters, enhance understanding, build mutual trust, resolve differences and seek consensus, he said.

The general secretary underlined the shared cultural roots of people across the Strait, saying that compatriots on both sides have always been of one lineage, hand in hand, heart to heart, watching over each other and helping each other.

He urged people across the Strait to resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and interference from external forces, steadfastly protect the common homeland of the Chinese nation, and jointly embrace a bright future of peaceful reunification.

This was the first meeting between Xi and Ma, who served as Taiwan leader from 2008 to 2016, since they met in Singapore in 2015.  On Thursday, Ma and the Taiwan youth delegation will wrap up their 11-day visit to the Chinese mainland, which follows a similar trip made last year.

Xi told his guests that enhancing the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Strait is both the starting point and the purpose of the mainland in developing cross-Strait relations.

Emphasizing the overarching goal of helping compatriots across the Strait realize their aspiration for living a better life, Xi said the mainland, with a proven capacity to lead 1.4 billion people toward a better life, is fully capable of creating "a bright future together with our Taiwan compatriots".

The mainland has always kept the welfare of Taiwan compatriots in mind, sharing the opportunities from Chinese modernization and the achievements of development and progress of the mainland with them, he said.

The mainland is actively doing practical and good things for compatriots from Taiwan, solving their problems and ensuring that they have more benefits, more substantial welfare and a better future, Xi said.

To forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the general secretary pledged more forceful measures to promote cross-Strait exchanges, interactions and integration, so that compatriots on both sides can develop mutual understanding and trust through interactions, and foster a spiritual connection.

He said the mainland sincerely invites more visits from Taiwan compatriots, adding that he will be happy to see more people from the mainland visiting Taiwan.

Xi also extended a welcoming message to the young people in Taiwan to come to the mainland to pursue and fulfill their dreams, saying that mainland authorities will create better conditions and more opportunities for the development and success of young people from both sides of the Strait.

Ma told Xi that adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" constitute the common political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

While highlighting the need to deepen cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation to jointly carry forward Chinese culture and stay dedicated to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Ma noted that people on both sides of the Strait belong to the Chinese nation and are descendants of Emperor Yan and the Yellow Emperor.

Lee Liang-yi, a student from Taiwan who spoke at the meeting, said she was impressed by the emphasis Xi placed on the role of young people in advancing the future of the nation, especially his advocacy of mutual help between young people across the Strait.

"In addition to events like this, I hope there can be more exchanges in sports, including baseball," she said.

Reporter: Xu Wei, Jiang Chenglong