Mainland official calls for jointly advancing peaceful cross-Straits relations

XI'AN - The Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief Wednesday called on both sides across the Taiwan Straits to work together for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and peaceful reunification of the motherland.

Liu Jieyi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, met Hung Hsiu-chu, former Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman, and Yok Mu-ming, chairman of Taiwan's New Party, respectively in the northwestern city of Xi'an.

Hung and Yok were in Xi'an to attend a ceremony paying homage to Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor, regarded as one common ancestor for all Chinese.

At the meetings, Liu expressed appreciation for the effort made by Taiwan's organizations and politicians, including Hung and Yok, to uphold the one-China principle and oppose "Taiwan independence."

He expressed the hope that people from all walks of life on the two sides of the Taiwan Straits to work together for the greater national interest.