Hu Jintao said this when meeting with overseas Chinese and Chinese diplomats in Rio de Janeiro of Brazil, where he is paying a state visit, according to China Radio International.

While saying development and reunification are the major tasks of the country, he stressed that only reunification can ensure better development.

He added China will stick to the principle of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" in solving the Taiwan question, but will never tolerate "Taiwan Independence", nor will allow anybody to split Taiwan from China.

Hu Jintao is now in Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo to continue his five-day visit to the Latin American country.