Kong Quan said he had noticed some media reports stating that the mainland had tried to hinder lifting of the World Health Organization travel advisory on Taiwan.

"Such reports are utterly baseless and irresponsible, with ulterior motives."

Kong said mainland people empathized with Taiwan people.

The Chinese mainland was concerned about the epidemic situationin Taiwan and supported Taiwan against SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), he said.

He said that not long ago Vice-Premier Wu Yi told the World Health Assembly about the support the Central Government had offered to Taiwan.

Several tele-meetings had also been held for medical experts tocommunicate and the mainland experts had given good advice to Taiwan experts, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2003)