Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, said on Wednesday that he will firmly adhere to the 1992 Consensus and deepen cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, especially focusing on promoting exchanges and mutual understanding between young people on both sides of the Straits.

Ma made the remarks while meeting with Chen Jining, secretary of the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee, on Wednesday when he started his trip in the city.

Ma appreciated the hospitality of Shanghai and the city's care for Taiwan businessmen and companies and said he is full of expectations for his trip in Shanghai.

As an international metropolis, Shanghai's development environment is very attractive to Taiwan business people and enterprises in all aspects, and he believes there will be more possibilities for cooperation between Shanghai and Taiwan in the future, he said.

"We are committed to promoting the peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations. We will firmly adhere to the 1992 Consensus, deepen cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, and focus especially on promoting exchanges and mutual understanding between young people on both sides," he said.

Chen spoke highly of Ma's efforts in upholding the 1992 Consensus, opposing "Taiwan Independence" and promoting cross-Straits exchanges.

Compatriots on both sides of the Straits share the same blood, culture, history, vision, and common spiritual homeland and cultural customs. Ma's return to his hometown to worship his ancestors has fully reflected the national tradition, Chen said.

"Peace, development, exchanges and cooperation are the common aspiration of people on both sides of the Straits," he said.

Shanghai will continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges between Shanghai and Taiwan, create better conditions for exchanges and mutual learning between young people on both sides of the Straits, and provide better services and business environments for Taiwan business people and enterprises to invest and do business in the city, Chen said.

"We hope that more Taiwan compatriots, especially young people, will come to the mainland to work, study and live in Shanghai," he said.

After concluding their trip in Chongqing, Ma and his delegation arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday. He visited a city management center in Shanghai's Pudong New Area in the afternoon, where he learned about efforts to apply information technology to improve urban governance and management.