Wu Xi (first left), deputy chief of mission of the Chinese embassy in Washington, speaks at a meeting in Washington on Tuesday on the impact of the Nov 7 meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou as leaders of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Some 30 Chinese Americans and overseas Chinese in the Greater Washington area attended the talk. Chen Weihua / China Daily

Chinese Americans and overseas Chinese residing in the Greater Washington area applauded the historic meeting between leaders from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

The meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore on Nov 7 was the first such meeting since 1949.

Wu Xi, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, described the meeting as "an important milestone in cross-Straits relations".

"The meeting has consolidated the common political foundation of sticking to the 1992 Consensus and opposing Taiwan independence," Wu told a meeting on Tuesday in Washington attended by some 30 Chinese Americans and overseas Chinese. The attendees came originally from both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

The core of the 1992 Consensus is the acknowledgment that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China.

Wu said the meeting between Xi and Ma has bolstered confidence to continue on a path of peaceful development that is mutually beneficial and win-win.

She echoed what Xi said that people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits have the ability and wisdom to solve their own problems.

Wu said the meeting set a precedent for direct talk between leaders on both sides of the Straits.

"It has opened new prospects for cross-Straits relations and will carry profound significance for future cross-Straits relations," she said.

She also praised the Chinese Americans and overseas Chinese for their contributions to cross-Straits relations and the cause of reunification of the motherland.

Wu Huiqiu (right), president of the Washington-based National Association for China’s Peaceful Unification (NACPU), speaks at a meeting in Washington on Tuesday on the impact of the Nov 7 meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou as leaders of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Some 30 Chinese Americans and overseas Chinese in the Greater Washington area attended the talk. Chen Weihua / China Daily

Wu Huiqiu, president of the Washington-based National Association for China's Peaceful Unification, said it's heartening to see the first meeting between top leaders across the Straits.

He said the assurance of the 1992 Consensus and One China principle by the two leaders has laid a foundation for peaceful development and deepening trust between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

"It also serves as deterrence to the pro-independence force in Taiwan and tells them that it is a dead-end path," he said.

Wu believes that whichever is the ruling party in Taiwan after the January election should not deviate from the foundation, or it will cause harm to people on both sides of the Straits.