Wang Huning urges cross-strait peace and exchanges in talks with Taiwan’s KMT

Wang Huning, mainland China’s top official on Taiwan affairs, told the vice-chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT), the island’s main opposition party, that Beijing sought to promote cross-strait exchanges and peace on Wednesday.KMT vice-chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen was received by Wang, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Beijing’s No 4 official, and Song Tao, head of the mainland’s Taiwan-affairs-office" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="6513" data-entity-type="organization">Taiwan Affairs Office, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.According to official news agency Xinhua, Wang said the Communist Party was willing to strengthen exchanges with all Taiwanese political parties, groups and individuals, including the KMT, on the basis of upholding the 1992 consensus and opposing “Taiwan independence”.The 1992 consensus was a verbal understanding reached by the KMT and Beijing that both sides agreed there was only one China, but that each could have its own interpretation of what that meant.Wang said both sides should firmly oppose “Taiwan independence” and external interference, stressing that the future of the Chinese nation must be determined by its own people.He advocated for the principle that “compatriots across the strait are of one family” and called for expanded exchanges and cooperation based on a shared desire for peace and development. Wang also invited Taiwanese people to take part in mainland China’s development plans to foster integrated growth.