Cross-Straits ties based on one-China principle

Whatever the political differences across the Taiwan Straits, they should not stand in the way of cooperation in a wide range of areas, as there is only one China, to which both sides belong. This is the very foundation for bilateral relations across the Straits and also a force of cohesion that can draw people on both sides together.

Any attempt to challenge the one-China consensus would not only sow the seeds of discord, it would also undermine the political foundation for cross-Straits relations.

That is why Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for both sides to establish a framework for the peaceful development of relations when meeting visiting Kuomintang Chairman Eric Chu in Beijing on Monday.