Taiwan compatriots share Olympic glory

The Chinese mainland is willing to conduct extensive and in-depth dialogue and democratic consultation with political parties, organizations and individuals in Taiwan to seek social consensus, on the basis of adhering to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, a senior official said on the weekend.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remark while meeting with Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairwoman of the Kuomintang, in Beijing on Saturday.

Hung, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, was invited to attend Friday's opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Conveying Spring Festival greetings from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to Hung and Taiwan compatriots, Wang said Taiwan compatriots' participation in the Games in various ways vividly shows that all Chinese people are sharing the national glory.

Wang also expressed wishes that athletes from Taiwan perform well in the Games and that student volunteers from Taiwan providing services have good memories.

Stressing that no force can resist the historical trend of China's reunification, Wang called on people across the Taiwan Straits to resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatists and interference from foreign forces.

Hung said in their meeting that the grand opening ceremony of the Games had shown the world the resilience and unity of the Chinese nation, and Taiwan should not be absent in the great tide of the Chinese nation's rejuvenation, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Noting that cross-Straits relations will face many challenges this year, she expressed hope that people across the Straits will further promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, the report said.

In a post on her Facebook account on Thursday, Hung said she was very happy to be invited to attend the opening ceremony.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will be another great event for the Chinese people on the international sports stage after the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Hung said in the post, adding that during the 2008 event, she deeply felt the glory of the Chinese nation.

In 2008, many Taiwan compatriots watched the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games on TV, and both the Bird's Nest - the National Stadium - and the Water Cube - the National Aquatics Center - became popular new terms in Taiwan, she said.

Hung said she was honored to be able to participate in the two sports events hosted by the Chinese people, and to witness and share the glory of the nation.

"The Olympic spirit is 'unity, peace and friendship'," she said in the post. "I hope that the torch will shine across the Taiwan Straits to gradually eliminate the current divergence and indifference between the two sides."