COMPLETE REUNIFICATION

In his address, Xi said the Taiwan question arose out of the weakness and chaos of the Chinese nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality.

"This is determined by the general trend of Chinese history, but more importantly, it is the common will of all Chinese people," he noted.

National reunification by peaceful means best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including compatriots in Taiwan, said Xi, while calling on compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to stand on the right side of history.

Xi described secession aimed at "Taiwan independence" as the greatest obstacle to national reunification and a grave danger to national rejuvenation.

"Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end," he said, adding that they will be disdained by the people and condemned by history.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for China, one which brooks no external interference, Xi noted.

"The complete reunification of our country will be and can be realized," he stressed.

Saturday's meeting, presided over by Wang Yang, was attended by other senior leaders Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng, and Wang Qishan.

They were joined by representatives from all walks of life, including descendants of the pioneers of the 1911 Revolution and guests from overseas.

CARRYING ON GREAT CAUSE

In Wuhan, a commemoration was attended by more than 90 descendants of the heroes of the 1911 Revolution.

Cai Lihong, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural University and grandson of Cai Jimin, a leader of the Wuchang Uprising that represented the beginning of the 1911 Revolution, said the Revolution of 1911 will forever stand as a towering landmark on our nation's journey toward rejuvenation.

"I am pleased that the great cause initiated by our elder generation is advancing step by step," he added.

Fang Yucheng, 60, is the grandson of a soldier whose battalion fired the first shots in the Wuchang Uprising.

"I have always been proud of my grandfather and the revolution he participated in is of great significance," Fang said. "His revolutionary spirit has been inspiring me to work hard for national rejuvenation."