Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (center) and Chen Yunlin, minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (left) greet representatives of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland yesterday. [Photo: Xinhua]

Beijing will push forward with the three direct links across the Taiwan Straits and expand its policies benefiting Taiwan businessmen investing on the mainland, the country's top political advisor said yesterday.

Jia Qinglin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting a delegation from the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland.

"We will make more efforts to promote economic exchange and cooperation, and advance the realization of direct links for mail, trade and transport services between the two sides across the Taiwan Straits," Jia said. Taipei has banned the three direct links across the Straits since 1949.

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan are now facing a "historic opportunity" for economic exchange and cooperation, Jia said.

Enhancing cooperation and creating a win-win situation through joint efforts have become the will of the people both on the mainland and in Taiwan, and is a trend of the times, he said.

Compared with the eight-year rule of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, the Kuomintang favors closer ties with the mainland.

Jia, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, also pledged to continue to implement and enrich favorable policies toward Taiwan compatriots.

Efforts will be made to support the restructuring and upgrading of Taiwanese-funded companies on the mainland, he said.

Jia thanked the association for serving Taiwan businessmen, helping to push forward cross-Straits communication and cooperation, and the peaceful and stable development of relations.

"The efforts to promote cross-Straits economic exchange and trade over the past two decades have laid a sound foundation," Jia said.

He called on both sides to seize the current "good momentum" to create more opportunities.

Jia also thanked Taiwan businessmen for their care and support to the people of earthquake-stricken Sichuan province. It had demonstrated that people across the Taiwan Straits are bound by flesh and blood, he said.

Founded on April 16 last year, the association is a nonprofit organization set up by Taiwan companies to serve Taiwan-funded businesses on the mainland, and to promote economic and trade cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

Official statistics show there are about 1 million Taiwan businessmen investing on the mainland. By the end of last year, the number of Taiwan-funded firms had reached 75,146, with investments of more than $100 billion.

"A more stable cross-Straits relationship and convenient transport will make our business more smooth. It has been a dream for too many years," a Taiwan businessmen surnamed Cai based in Shanghai, said.

(China Daily June 3, 2008)