Premier urges resumption of exchanges between mainland, Taiwan

Premier Li Qiang said that the immediate restoration of normal exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan is the shared aspiration of both sides and requires joint efforts.

"Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are members of one and the same family. We share an unbreakable bond of blood and kinship," Li said at a news conference on Monday after the conclusion of the annual meeting of the National People's Congress.

The Chinese mainland will continue to promote economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits on the basis of the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, he said.

"We also encourage more Taiwan compatriots and businesses to come to the mainland," he said. "We hope they will not just be willing to come to the mainland but also be able to integrate into the local communities and achieve better development."