BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland will host the cross-Strait forum on agricultural cooperation in October after efforts to hold it in Taipei failed, an official with the Kuomintang (KMT) Party said on Thursday.

The announcement was made by Tseng Yung-Chuan, director of the KMT central policy committee, during a meeting with Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

A spokesman of the Taiwan Work office confirmed the decision, saying the CPC has accepted the idea for the sake of the prosperity and peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations.

The CPC and KMT decided to hold the forum in Taipei next month, but the application of Chen's delegation to attend the forum has not been approved by the Taiwan authorities.

"I've been longing for a chance to visit Taiwan, but it now seems very difficult to go," said Chen.

Chen told the media before meeting with Tseng that the aim of the agricultural forum is to boost the development of cross-Strait agriculture by learning from Taiwan's successful experiences.

"However, time has passed by and it seems impossible to hold it in Taiwan before the end of this year." said Chen, "so we have to reconsider it."

A spokesman from the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits has claimed that Chen's delegation would not get involved in any issues other than agricultural cooperation, and would have nothing to do with the resumption of cross-Strait negotiations or other talks.

Mainland officials criticized the Taiwan authorities last month, urging them to be sincere and careful in dealing with this issue.

During Thursday's meeting, Chen and Tseng also discussed the opening of tourism and regular weekend chartered passenger flights across the Strait.

The mainland tourist authorities has issued a regulation on travel by mainland residents to Taiwan and has set up an association on Cross-Strait tourism, according to Chen.

Chen hopes that tourism organizations on both sides continue to speed up negotiations on allowing mainlanders to visit Taiwan.

The mainland has noted that Taiwan authorities has adopted some positive measures including the approval of the establishment of non-governmental tourist organizations.

"As soon as the organizations start operation, the mainland will negotiate with them, either on the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macao," he said.

Chen said the mainland hopes chartered passenger flight services will be extended to mainland residents with legal certificates and mainland tourists. Restrictions should be removed from chartered freight flights to achieve mutual benefit.

"We have been insisting that direct flights should be opened across the Strait. Detailed negotiations can be left to civil aviation companies on both sides," he said.