The Chinese mainland and Taiwan negotiators started talks on mainland tourists' traveling to Taiwan on Thursday afternoon.

Sun Yafu and Li Bingcai, vice chairmen of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), discussed the issue with Kao Koong-lian, vice chairman and secretary-general of Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

The three negotiators also discussed cross-Strait weekend charted flights Thursday morning.

The mainland has made constant efforts in facilitating travelers' Taiwan visit since 2005, but former Taiwan authorities led by Chen Shui-bian did not set up a negotiating organization till 2006 to discuss the issue.

The two sides failed to reach an agreement on the number of tourists, tourism charted flights and other issues.

After Ma Ying-jeou took office as Taiwan leader, he proposed to allow mainland tourists to visit Taiwan by July.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2008)