BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping highlighted the breakthrough progress made in the cross-Strait relations since 1949, at a gathering on Wednesday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Chinese mainland's Message to Compatriots in Taiwan.

Over the 70 years, estrangement between the mainland and Taiwan was ended in line with the common will of compatriots across the Strait, and Taiwan compatriots have made great contributions to the reform and opening-up in the mainland, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

During the seven decades, the mainland and Taiwan reached the 1992 Consensus based on the one-China principle, and the political exchanges across the Strait have reached new heights, Xi said.

Over the 70 years, the basic principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" were established, and the basic policy of upholding "one country, two systems" and advancing the national reunification was laid out, according to Xi.

He continued that more and more countries and peoples have understood and supported the cause of the reunification of China over the 70 years.

Furthermore, over the 70 years, a series of major victories in the battles against "Taiwan independence" and separatists have been achieved, Xi said.