Mainland official meets Taiwan guests attending cross-Strait event

NANJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Song Tao, the mainland's senior Taiwan affairs official, on Monday met with representatives of Taiwan guests who will attend a cross-Strait exchange event, including Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party, in Nanjing of east China's Jiangsu Province.

Song, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, conveyed the cordial greetings of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to the Taiwan guests.

Song reiterated that only by upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" can the cross-Strait relations return to the right path of peaceful development.

He called for resolute opposition against separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and external interference, and taking the future and destiny firmly in the hands of Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Hung and other guests noted that Taiwan should uphold the 1992 Consensus, which is the anchor for cross-Strait peace and stability, explore the ways and plans for realizing peaceful reunification, and work with the mainland towards Chinese modernization and national rejuvenation.