Mainland promises support for cross-strait talks

A senior mainland official on Wednesday promised to provide necessary support and help for cross-strait talks.

Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks while meeting with Lin Join-sane, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), who is visiting the Chinese mainland for his first time.

The SEF and its mainland counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), have held eight rounds of talks and reached 18 agreements since 2008, including the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait have agreed to oppose "Taiwan independence" and stick to the 1992 Consensus, which have paved the way for the ARATS-SEF talks, Wang said.

The negotiators have communicated with good will, equality and sincerity over the years, he said, adding that they started with easier issues and moved forward step-by-step while taking the interests of people on both sides into full account.

Lin's visit sends a signal of continuity, Wang said.

"We hope and believe that, led by Chairman Lin, the SEF will stick to common ground and work with the ARATS to push talks forward for the sake of peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait," he said.

Lin said both sides should follow the current path to improve exchanges and further cooperation.

Lin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning, leading a 13-member delegation. On Tuesday evening, he met with ARATS President Chen Yunlin.

The SEF on Sept. 27 accepted the resignation of its chairman, Chiang Pin-kung, and elected Lin as its new head.

Lin, 68, previously served as secretary-general of the Kuomintang party and of Taiwan's executive authority body. He has also held roles as a member of the board of directors and supervisory committee of the SEF.

The SEF and ARATS, founded in 1990 and 1991, respectively, are non-governmental organizations authorized by Taiwan and the mainland to engage in talks regarding cross-Strait issues.