— Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China

(February 18, 2014)

Your Excellency Chairman Lien Chan, Honorary Chairman of Kuomintang and Mrs. Lien,

Friends from all walks of Taiwan:

Good afternoon, everyone! I am very happy to see Chairman Lien and all the old and new friends as we have just ushered in the Year of the Horse. You are the first wave of friends from Taiwan I have met in the New Year. First, I would like to extend my warm welcome to your arrival. I would also like to extend my New Year greetings to all of you, wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year.

I have met Chairman Lien many times. We are old friends. Chairman Lien holds profound feelings towards our nation. He has been committed to promotingthe cross-Straits relations and actively pursuing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. I highly appreciate his contributions.

Spring is the best time to carry out the year's work. Last year, Chairman Lien and other friends from Taiwan made a New Year visit to the mainland in the springtime, which opened a good start for the development of relations across the Taiwan Straits. The continually growing cross-Straits relations have not only brought more concrete benefits to people across the Straits but also created new opportunities for development. In the New Year, I hope both sides across the Straits will uphold firmly the concept that both sides of the Taiwan Straits are one family, seize the opportunity and work together to promote the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relations for more achievements and greater benefit of people across the Straits.

I appreciate Chairman Lien's constructive suggestions on the development of the cross-Straits relations. They are quite enlightening. You are representatives from all walks of Taiwan. I would like to take this opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with you.

For historical and actual reasons, some problems concerning cross-Straits relations cannot be resolved immediately. It does not matter. We can solve them with joint efforts, without affecting the cooperation and exchanges between compatriots across the Straits. Compatriots from both sides of the Straits are of one family and share the same blood, culture and aspiration. These common points are an important force to promote mutual understanding and work together to march forward hand in hand.

Kinship cannot be severed

The frankness and diligence of Taiwan compatriots as well as their respect to ancestors and love of the homeland has left a profound impression on me. Compatriots across the Straits are one family. The concept is deeply rooted in our blood and mind as well as our shared history and culture. We all believe that both sides of the Straits belong to Chinese nation and inherit the Chinese culture jointly. Throughout the 50 years of being occupied by foreign invaders, Taiwan compatriots have maintained a strong Chinese national consciousness and deep-seated affection for Chinese culture, as well as their Chinese national identity whole-heartedly. This is natural, innate and irreversible.

Reviewing the history of Taiwan and looking back on the way, compatriots across the Straitswalked together, I had a deep impression that no matter what difficulty Taiwan experienced and no matter what hardship and vicissitudes cross-Straits relations lived through, compatriots across the Straits are always closely attached to each other and help one another. This shows people around the world a simple truth that for compatriots across the Straits, blood is thicker than water. No matter those who crossed the black water channel to Taiwan to seek a life hundreds of years ago or people who moved to Taiwan decades ago, all the Taiwan compatriots are our family members. We are of the same root, the same blood and sharing the same culture and history. Our souls are closely connected as one family. The closeness of compatriots across the Straits is the common wish of all the Chinese people. Our kinship cannot be severed.

Problem can be resolved

Although separated by the Straits, our destiny is closely linked with each other. The prosperity of our nation is what all the compatriots want to see while a weak nation is a misfortune of all of them. We all have a deep impression on that after our nation experienced many ups and downs.

This year is another Jiawu Year (60-year cycle). Some 120 years ago in 1894, as China's national strengthen was weak, Taiwan was invaded and occupied by foreign invaders. This is a bitter part of the history of the Chinese nation, leaving painful memories to compatriots across the Straits. During the days when Taiwan was under foreign occupation, many Taiwan compatriots fought against the foreign invaders trying to prove that they were Chinese and were members of the big family of the Chinese nation in blood and life. Although the two sides of the Straits have not yet unified in the past more than six decades, it has never changed, and will never change that we belong to one nation. The blood flowing through our veins are all of the blood of the Chinese nation and we all have inherited and adhered to the spirit of the Chinese nation.

I see that due to Taiwan's unique history and social environment, Taiwan compatriots have their own mentality. They have special complex on the history's pathos. They have a consciousness to be masters of their own affairs, cherishing Taiwan's current social system and lifestyle and wishing to enjoy a peaceful and happy life. Seeing these through Taiwan compatriots eyes, we completely understand how our compatriots feel.

We have the same feeling toward the painful history left to Taiwan because that is the shared scar of our Chinese people. Mastering the destiny of the Chinese nation in our own hands and having Chinese people be respected everywhere in the world is the common goal that the Chinese people have fought for in modern times.

Family affection will help heal past wounds and sincerity will help resolve existing problems. The Chinese mainland respects the social system and lifestyle that Taiwan compatriots have chosen. We are willing to share the mainland's development opportunities with Taiwan compatriots. History cannot be changed, but the present is mastered in our own hands and the future can be created.

Promote the peaceful progress of cross-Straits relations

In the past five years, compatriots from both sides have chosen the path of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, which has created an unprecedented new dimension and benefited people of the two sides. Facts proved that it is a correct choice to safeguards cross-Straits peace, promote common development, help realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and bring benefits to people on both sides. Both of us should be confident of this path and work to remove any obstacles along the way step by step.

The peaceful development of the cross-Straits relations is to the advantage of compatriots on both sides. Neither side wishes to see a reversion of the current good cross-Straits situation. To this end, we need to consolidate the basis for adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing Taiwan independence, and foster the common understanding of the One-China principle. This basis is the anchor of cross-Straits relations. So long as both sides adhere to this basis, cross-Straits relations will head for a bright future. If it is breached, cross-Straits relations will return to the old situation of unrest. Not long ago, chiefs of cross-Straits affairs from the mainland and Taiwan met formally and reached positive consensus, which is of great significance for the advancing of the comprehensive relations across the Straits.

Regarding the long-existing political differences across the Taiwan Straits, we are willing to hold consultations with the Taiwan side on an equal basis under the One-China principle and make reasonable arrangements. We can have frank exchanges. There is a sea of problems in the world. Thus, it is impossible to resolve them at one stroke. However, as long as we communicate with each other candidly, there is a chance to figure out those problems. Where wholehearted dedication is directed, the whole world will step aside to let you by. I believe that people on both sides have enough wisdom to figure out a solution.

Great things may be done by mass effort. Taiwan compatriots are welcome to play a part in advancing relations across the Straits. With our joint efforts to gather more wisdom and strength and work out ideas, we can consolidate and expand the fruits in the relation development across the Straits; we can have the peaceful progress of the cross-Straits relations become an irresistible trend of history and make Taiwan compatriots, especially the common people, benefit more from the peaceful progress of the cross-Straits relations. We will treat Taiwan compatriots equally without discrimination. Whoever he is, whatever assertions he has made before, he will be welcome as long as he is now willing to promote peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

Achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation

Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation—the prosperity of our country, the rejuvenation of the nation as well as the happiness of the people—is the long-cherished wish of Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the Communist Party of China as well as all the Chinese people since modern times. The Chinese dream as we call it is the specific statement of the long-cherished wish of our nation.

As Chairman Lien has said, the Chinese dream is closely linked to the future of Taiwan. It is the common dream of people across the Straits and compatriots from both sides of the Straits can join hands in realizing the Chinese dream. As an old Chinese saying put it, "if the brothers are of the same mind, their sharpness can cut through metal." I hope people from both sides to support each other regardless of their partisanship, class, religion and native region, working together to realize the Chinese nation's great rejuvenation and let our shared Chinese dream come true as early as possible.

We are treating Taiwan compatriots with great sincerity, and are willing to take advice from all parties involved. We will try to do our best, as long as what we do can contribute to the well-being of our Taiwan compatriots, to the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and to the overall interest of the Chinese nation. We sincerely hope Taiwan compatriots can benefit more from the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, having all Chinese people live a much better life.

At last, I wish the visit of Chairman Lien and all friends from Taiwan on the mainland are smooth and successful.