The Chinese mainland will continue to strengthen cross-Straits economic cooperation with Taiwan to jointly respond to the global financial crisis, Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday morning.

Addressing nearly 3,000 lawmakers at the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress, Wen said in his government work report the mainland would actively promote financial cooperation across the Taiwan Straits, and support the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland.

"We will accelerate normalization of cross-Straits economic relations and facilitate the signing of a comprehensive agreement on economic cooperation, and gradually establish economic cooperation mechanisms tailored to both sides of the Straits," he said.

His words underscored warming ties across the Taiwan Straits over the past year, which saw the realization of direct post service as well as direct maritime and air links across the Taiwan Straits.

The premier pledged to strengthen industrial and agricultural cooperation between both sides, and support economic development on the west coast of the Taiwan Straits, including Fujian and other provinces, where Taiwan investment is concentrated.

Acknowledging major breakthroughs in cross-Straits relations in 2008, Wen said the mainland would remain committed to the goal of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

"Cross-Straits relations have embarked on the track of peaceful development (in 2008)," Wen said.

The mainland was ready to make fair and reasonable arrangements through consultation on the issue of Taiwan's participation in the activities of international organizations on the basis of the One China principle, he said.

"We are also ready to hold talks on cross-Straits political and military issues and create conditions for ending the state of hostility and concluding a peace agreement between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits," he said.

Kennedy Wong, a Hong Kong lawyer and chairman of the Hong Kong Taiwan Youth Exchange Promotion Association, agreed that warming ties between the mainland and Taiwan had paved the way for cross-strait cooperation to tackle economic woes.

"The global financial crisis exposed the the weaknesses of Taiwan's over-reliance on the European countries, the United States and Japan," said Wong, who is here to attend the annual session of the 11th National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body.

"It is very hard for Taiwan to wade through the financial crisis on its own. The island has to turn to the vast market on the mainland to ensure future economic development," Wong said, urging for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement between the sides.

Wong's voice was echoed by Sze Cheung-pang, vice chairman of the Committee for Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the CPPCC National Committee.

"People in Taiwan can see that the Chinese mainland managed to retain a stable economy despite the financial crisis," he said.

"Taiwan is not strong enough to stand the financial storm alone. But the situation would be much more optimistic if the island join hands with the Chinese mainland. We should have full confidence in that," he said.

The mainland's policies to boost growth, expand domestic demand and ease credit supply would have positive effects on Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland, he said.

Both sides should strengthen financial cooperation by sharing financial information, setting up relevant agencies on the other side of the Straits, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2009)