New policies announced at Cross-Strait Forum

A package of preferential policies have been announced to strengthen ties between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. The announcement came at the 5th Cross-Strait Forum in the city of Xiamen in east China.

An annual gathering to encourage exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. The 5th Cross-Strait Forum attracts more than 10 thousand people. Participants from both sides called for more exchanges and mutual support.

"There is no better timing than now for people from both sides to work on a better future," the chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Yu Zhengsheng, said, "We should grab the opportunities and make the most of them to enhance the cooperation and write a new chapter in cross-strait relations."

New policies were announced to facilitate more frequent and convenient exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan on Sunday.

Thirty-one new policies will be released to promote cross-strait communication and cooperation, said Zhang Zhijun, Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. They include areas of entry permits, education, the legal system, cultural exchanges and copyright cooperation.

In addition, residents in 13 more mainland cities will be eligible to visit Taiwan as individual tourists under a new agreement. Over the past four years, 93 preferential policies were made at the Cross-Strait Forums, in the areas of the economy, science, culture and education, all of which have boosted cross-strait relations.

The Cross-Strait Forum has become an increasingly important event as well as a significant platform for promoting exchanges between grassroots people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The organizers hope that these new policies will enhance cross-strait relations and bring real benefits to people.