General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said Sunday that the denial of the "1992 consensus" caused setbacks in cross-strait relations.

Hu made the remark when meeting with Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Party Honorary Chairman Lien Chan, who came to Beijing to attend the Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Forum, and other forum participants from Taiwan.

Hu said that adhering to the "1992 consensus" (referring to the common belief that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China) is the vital foundation for peace and development across the Taiwan Strait.

Though China is not reunified yet, the fact that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China has not changed, and the bonds of flesh and blood between compatriots on both sides of the strait have not changed, he said.

Hu recalled that 14 years ago it was based on the above-mentioned common understanding and their wish to seek common ground while shelving differences that the two sides reached the "1992 consensus," which resulted in the "Wang-Koo Talks" in 1993.

The "Wang-Koo Talks" refers to the landmark meeting in 1993 between Wang Daohan, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) and Koo Chen-fu, chairman of the Taiwan-based Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Singapore in April 1993. It was the first ever high-level, non-governmental talks across the Taiwan Strait.

It was also based on such a consensus that the CPC and KMT put out last year a series of measures for peace across the Strait and the benefits of people on both sides of the strait, Hu said.

Hu and Lien first met in April 2005, which was also the first meeting between top leaders of the two parties in 60 years.

Hu said the reason that setbacks occur in cross-straits relations in recent years is that some people deny the "1992 consensus" and attempt to destroy the status quo that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China.

Facts have shown that only by adhering to the "1992 consensus" can both sides of the Strait realize peace, development and common prosperity, and only rejection of "Taiwan Independence" can remove the major threat to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, Hu said.

Source: Xinhua