Hu Jintao, top leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), sent a congratulatory message on Monday to Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou, who was elected chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) Sunday, sources from the CPC Central Committee said.

Hu, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said in the message that he hoped the two political parties could continue to push forward the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, deepen mutual political trust, keep working for the interests of compatriots across the Straits, and rejuvenate the Chinese nation.

In his reply to Hu's message, Ma expressed his gratitude to Hu's congratulation, saying that cross-Straits relations had embarked on a road of peaceful development and mutual prosperity through joint efforts based on the 1992 consensus.

The two parties needed to keep on working together under the principles of facing reality, building mutual trust, laying aside disputes and creating a win-win situation, Ma said in the reply.

The two parties should also make efforts to consolidate peace across the Taiwan Straits, restore regional stability, and push forward cross-Straits development and prosperity, Ma said.

Ma Ying-jeou was elected KMT chairman Sunday in a landslide victory, taking 93.87 percent of party votes.

Ma won Taiwan's leadership election in March last year and was inaugurated in May 2008. He had previously served as chairman of the KMT from July 2005 to February 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2009)