Taiwan business community urged to jointly strengthen economy of Chinese nation

NANJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Song Tao, the mainland's senior Taiwan affairs official, on Wednesday called on Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots to actively participate in cross-Strait exchanges and jointly strengthen the economy of the Chinese nation.

Song, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a seminar for Taiwan businesspeople that was held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

The mainland will provide new opportunities and broad prospects for the development of Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots, and improve the mechanisms and policies for exchanges and cooperation in cultural and economic sectors between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Song said.

He called on Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots to uphold the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, and to take a clear-cut stance against separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and external interventions.

At the seminar, representatives of Taiwan's industry and commerce organizations, enterprises and young entrepreneurs pledged to participate actively in cooperation on and integrated development of industrial and supply chains on both sides of the Strait, and to achieve high-quality development.

They also expressed the willingness of Taiwan compatriots and enterprises to make new contributions to boosting cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, to promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.