Taiwan compatriots hail closer links with the mainland

President Xi Jinping said China must, and will, be reunified, when he addressed a gathering in Beijing earlier this month to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan.

Xi called for closer cross-Straits ties, and proposed connecting the Chinese mainland's Fujian province to the islands of Jinmen and Matsu - which are attached to Taiwan but lie off the coast of the province - via water and gas pipelines, an electricity grid and road bridges.

Compatriots in Taiwan lauded the speech and expressed their eagerness for the proposed new links.