The four-point proposal made by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday when meeting with a delegation from the Kuomintang (KMT) led by the party's Chairperson Cheng Li-wen in Beijing has charted a course for peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, said scholars.
During the meeting, Xi called for forging closer bonds across the Taiwan Strait by upholding a correct understanding of identity, safeguarding the shared homeland through peaceful development, fostering the well-being of the people through exchanges and integration, and joint efforts to achieve national rejuvenation.
Xi's proposal will inspire compatriots on both sides of the Strait to work together and firmly grasp the future of cross-Strait relations in the hands of the Chinese people themselves, scholars said.
According to scholars, the core message of the meeting is clear: people on both sides of the Strait belong to the Chinese nation and should adhere to the 1992 Consensus, oppose Taiwan secessionism, and deepen cooperation across various fields on this basis.
"The proposal closely links Taiwan's future with the strength of the motherland, making it clear to our compatriots in Taiwan that only through national reunification and national rejuvenation can Taiwan have a true future and genuine hope. The proposal has rectified misconceptions about identity, drawn clear bottom lines on fundamental issues, and rallied public sentiment on the direction forward. The proposal has sent a clear signal to both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the international community: the tide of history is unstoppable, and the overarching trend of compatriots from across the Strait growing closer and coming together will not change," said Tang Hua, director of the Institute of Cross-Strait Relations under Xiamen University's Taiwan Research Institute.
Scholars added that Xi's remarks that "the future of cross-Strait relations should be firmly held in the hands of the Chinese people themselves" have strong contemporary relevance.
They also noted that the meeting responded to the mainstream aspiration among people in Taiwan for peace and development. Xi's emphasis on enhancing people's well-being through exchanges and integration highlights the need for practical engagement: strengthening mutual understanding, bridging the gap, and building trust through sustained interaction.
"Only through continuous exchanges can we establish a correct sense of identity and foster an accurate understanding of the mainland, thereby breaking through the information cocoon or echo chamber that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has long created. The two parties should join hands to consolidate and expand the path of cross-Strait peace, cooperation, and mutual benefit — a path completely different from the DPP authorities' dead-end course of 'relying on external forces to seek secessionism and 'resist Chinese mainland, protect Taiwan'. This offers a different choice for the Taiwan society. This path will grow broader and broader, and the more it develops, the more beneficial it will be to the well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan," said Zhu Weidong, deputy director of Taiwan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
Xi's proposal charts course for peaceful development of cross-Strait relations: scholars
