The relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have improved in various aspects in the past year after Chinese President Hu Jintao made public his four-point guideline on cross-Straits relations, Xinhua said in Beijing Friday.

The news agency said, however, the fighting against "Taiwan Independence" activities and "secessionist forces" has remained arduous and complicated.

The door for dialogues between political parties from cross-Straits has opened. The inter-Party exchanges and dialogues between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Taiwan based Kuomintang, People First Party and New Party had won applause from both home and overseas, it said.

In the meantime, the Mainland and Taiwan have made progress in various fields including trade, tourism, education and banking.

Xinhua said the "Taiwan Independence" forces had been effectively curbed and the positive factors that check the secessionist activities have become more than before.

It said the momentum has grown for the peaceful and steady development of cross-Straits relations.

On March 4, 2005, Hu put forward the guideline, saying "never sway in adhering to the one-China principle, never give up efforts to seek peaceful reunification, never to change the principle of placing hope on the Taiwan people, never compromise in opposing the 'Taiwan Independence' secessionist activities."

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2006)