A gathering to commemorate the 40th anniversary of issuing Message to Compatriots in Taiwan is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

President Xi Jinping proposed that the mainland and Taiwan conduct democratic consultation on cross-Strait relations and the future of the nation, and establish institutional arrangement for peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a gathering in Beijing to commemorate the 40th anniversary of issuing Message to Compatriots in Taiwan.

Political parties and all sectors on both sides of the Strait may recommend representatives to conduct extensive and in-depth democratic consultation on the basis of the common political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence," Xi said.