China's fourth-ranked leader on Friday noted that it is the duty of all Chinese nationals to defend the country's territorial claims over Taiwan as well as the latter's sovereignty, according to Chinese state media.

Yu Zhengsheng, a member of the central politburo committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was speaking at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People to mark the 70^th anniversary of Japan's surrender of the island.

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"Maintaining the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maintaining no changes to the position that Taiwan is part of China is a sacred mission for all the sons and daughters of China," he explained.

The Chinese government has repeatedly asserted its territorial claims over the Taiwan, which spans back to the times of the Qing Dynasty. China lost control of the island to Japan in the late 19^th century after the First Sino-Japanese War and the island remained in the hands of the Imperial nation for 50 years until the end of World War II in 1945.

Yu said the recovery of Taiwan erased the "national shame" wrought by the repeated invasions of China.

In 1949, after the Communist Party gained victory over the Nationalists in the Chinese Civil War, the latter retreated to Taiwan and set up a government. There has been contention over the political and legal status of the island nation ever since. While China continues to claim ownership of Taiwan, many citizens of the island insist that the nation is independent of mainland.

Yu said that the status of the island as part of China has never been in question. He urged people in China and Taiwan to resist any attempt to disrupt cross-strait relations.

"China's sovereignty and territorial integrity has not been severed and the fact that the two sides belong to one China has not changed," he said.

Many experts agree that the relationship between Taiwan and China has improved remarkably during the tenure of Taiwan's current President Ma Yong-jeou. However, Ma has admitted that there is much room for improvement in cross-strait bilateral ties.

The people of Taiwan are set to go to the polls early next year to select the country's next leader. Last month, Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesman for China's State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said that whosoever in victorious in the polls must maintain the status-quo in cross-strait relations. But some experts are beginning to question if this is possible.

This month, Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Party replaced its pro-China presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu with Taipei mayor Eric Chu. The move has attracted criticisms from some pundits in China. With less than 100 days to the elections, some say the move may just pave the way for the opposition Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen to win in the polls. Tsai has not clearly stated her stance on China, but many think there would be a change in cross-strait relations if she is elected.

Beijing has vowed not to interfere in the elections, which is scheduled for January 2016.

TagsChina-Taiwan, Cross-Strait Relations, 70th Anniversary of Japan's Surrender of Taiwan, Yu Zhengsheng, World War II, Hung Hsiu-chu, Ma Ying-jeou