Mainland supports cross-Straits offices

BEIJING - A mainland spokesman on Wednesday expressed support for the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and its Taiwanese counterpart, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), to establish cross-Straits offices.

The offices will facilitate the work of the two organizations that have been entrusted to handle cross-Straits affairs and better serve people from the two sides, said Yang Yi, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

"We hope the two organizations can finish the preparation work and discuss the issue as early as possible," Yang said when asked to comment on Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's recent remarks about the establishment of cross-Straits offices.

Yang also said the mainland has always been positive and supportive and worked to help both Taiwan and mainland media set up permanent offices.

Yang called on the Taiwanese side to respond to calls from media from both sides of the Straits and remove barriers in this respect.

Lin Join-sane, SEF chairman, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning to kick off his first visit to the Chinese mainland.

"We welcome the visit of Chairman Lin Join-sane," Yang said. "We expect the SEF can further the cooperation with the ARATS and continue the consultation based on the progress achieved previously."

Lin met with his mainland counterpart ARATS President Chen Yunlin on Tuesday evening and with Wang Yi, director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, on Wednesday morning.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), is scheduled to meet with Lin on Wednesday.

Yang also said he believes that Taiwan can carry out positive policies on mainland affairs, avoid interference and work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

When asked to comment on mainland-related policies issued by Taiwan's opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Yang said the mainland hopes that the DPP will realize that peaceful development has won the support of mainstream public opinion across the Taiwan Straits and that "Taiwan independence" is doomed to be a dead end.

The DPP should give up its stance of "Taiwan independence" and return to the right path, he said.

The mainland is willing to listen to rational and constructive ideas on cross-Strait relations from all walks of Taiwan society, he said.