A senior Chinese official promised to continuously deepen exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong province and Taiwan in various fields, promoting peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and contributing to national reunification.

Both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan must adhere to the one-China principle and resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence "and separatist behaviors and external interference, as the issue of national reunification is the core of China's core interests and it is the aspiration of the Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, said Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Huang made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a cross-Strait seminar on exchanges of compatriots from the mainland and Taiwan that opened in Guangzhou on Wednesday.

Huang, also Party chief of Guangdong province, said his province welcomes Taiwan compatriots to invest and do business to promote common development.

"Guangdong's industrial structure complements that of Taiwan, and Guangdong will adhere to the principle of prioritizing the real economy and further promote the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in the following months," he said.

Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said solving the Taiwan question and realizing complete reunification of the motherland is a historical inevitability for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"Any provocative behavior of 'Taiwan independence' will be severely punished and will inevitably be thwarted," he said.

Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, said that for the wellbeing of the 23 million Taiwan people, both sides of the Taiwan Strait must work together to firmly oppose and curb "Taiwan independence" and any activity to split the motherland.

She urged more Taiwan young people to visit the mainland and better understand the latest development of the motherland via deep exchanges with mainland youths.

"Youth represents the future," she said.

Zheng Yongnian, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), said a small group of political figures cannot hinder the reunification of the motherland. He urged the mainland and Taiwan to advance exchanges and cooperation in the economy, trade, culture, people's livelihood, tourism and various industries.