WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- A senior Chinese official on Taiwan affairs on Friday expressed the hope that ties across the Taiwan Strait will stay on the path of peaceful development after the island's elections next year, while reiterating China's strong confidence in dealing with any possible contingencies.

In talks with U.S. officials at the State Department and the White House, Zhang Zhijun, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, briefed them on the current situation across the Taiwan Strait and Beijing's principled position on the Taiwan issue.

He said that since 2008, the cross-strait ties have been undergoing peaceful development on the common political basis of upholding the "1992 consensus" and opposing Taiwan independence. This trend has been widely endorsed by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as well as the international community.

However, he said, with the island heading toward new elections next year, the cross-strait ties have come to a critical juncture as Taiwan faces two diverging paths ahead: One is to continue to uphold the "1992 consensus" to maintain the peaceful development of the cross-strait ties, while the another is to reverse the historical trend by returning to the old path of seeking independence.

A different choice leads to different consequences, Zhang noted, adding that Beijing hopes Taiwan will stick to the path of maintaining the stable and peaceful development of the cross-strait ties on the basis of the "1992 consensus," an agreement reached in 1992 which acknowledges that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China.

He stressed that China is capable and confident of dealing with any possible contingencies on the Taiwan issue, because its position of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity is rock solid and unshakable.

While lauding the U.S. for adhering to the one-China policy, supporting the peaceful development of the cross-strait ties and opposing Taiwan independence, Zhang stressed that Beijing hopes Washington will stick to the principles of the three Joint Communiques made by the governments of the United States and China, and play a constructive role in maintaining the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.