BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The mainland hopes peaceful cross-Strait ties continue after the island's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Party elects a new chairman, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

Political foundations between the two sides should be consolidated and positive interactions should continue, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

KMT will elect a new chairperson on Jan. 17, following the party's defeat in the island's biggest-ever local elections last November.

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou stepped down as the chairman on Dec. 3, handing over the reins to the party's First Vice Chairman Wu Den-yih as interim chief.