Hu calls for peaceful reunification of China at the grand ceremony marking the centennial anniversary of the 1911 Revolution

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday restated the signifcance of peaceful reunification of China, saying that it best serves the fundamental interests of all Chinese, including Taiwan compatriots.

Hu made the remarks at a grand ceremony to mark the centennial anniversary of the 1911 Revolution, or the Xinhai Revolution, which began as the Wuchang Uprising and terminated 2,000 years of imperial rule in China.

We should firmly pursue the goal of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations," Hu said, urging efforts to strengthen the political common ground of opposing "Taiwan independence" and upholding the 1992 Consensus.

Hu also urged all Chinese to strive together for the rejvenation of the Chinese nation, a cherished goal of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and other pioneers of the Revolution of 1911.

"The Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits now have a historic opportunity to work together for common prosperity and development", Hu stressed.

Efforts should be made to promote close exchanges and cooperation between compatriots on both sides of the Straits, he said.

Both sides "should carry forward the fine traditions of the Chinese culture, enhance the sense of a common national identity, constantly resolve problems on the way ahead, end cross-Straits antagonisms, and heal wounds of the past," He said.