Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Taiwan's Kuomintang party leader Hung Hsiu-chu in Beijing on Tuesday. [WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY]

BEIJING -?A Chinese mainland spokesman on Wednesday spoke highly of the meeting between leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) Party of Taiwan.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, met with KMT leader Hung Hsiu-chu and her delegation in Beijing in early November.

"The meeting played a significant role in enhancing relations between the two parties and cross-Straitsties," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

During their meeting, Xi and Hung recognized their parties' contribution to the peaceful development of cross-Straitsrelations and reiterated the common political foundation of adherence to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to "Taiwan independence," Ma said.

Both sides agreed to consolidate the foundation, boost political trust, safeguard the peaceful development and stability of cross-Straitsties, and improve communication to increase exchanges and cooperation in economy, culture and society, Ma said.

Ma said that cross-Straitsexchange programs for 2017, which were announced at a forum on peaceful cross-Straitsrelations early this month, had opened registration for compatriots from Taiwan.
The forum, jointly hosted by 20 non-governmental organizations from across the Taiwan Strait, was attended by about 240 participants from both sides.

The mainland has made efforts to improve communication among young people, as well as to help young people in Taiwan to study, work and live on the mainland, Ma added.