The first cross-Straits talks in nearly a decade yesterday resulted in agreement on a broad range of issues to boost bilateral exchanges.

On the first day of their meeting, the two sides agreed to set up permanent representative offices to coordinate contacts.

Top mainland negotiator Chen Yunlin also accepted an invitation by his Taiwan counterpart to visit the island later this year, a move which analysts believe will inject momentum into the development of cross-Straits ties.

"As wished by people on the two sides, talks resumed today after nearly 10 years' suspension," Chen - chairman of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) - said, referring to tense cross-Straits ties since 1999, especially during the rule of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party.

"We feel a great sense of responsibility at this glorious mission and we must spare no effort in realizing the aspirations of people on the two sides.

"Whether cross-Straits relations improve depends on whether our negotiations proceed smoothly," Chen said as the talks opened at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse at around 9 am.

Echoing Chen, Chiang Pin-kun - chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) - said the two organizations had established mutual trust after recent contacts and the two will serve as a bridge for cross-Straits consultations.

"The talks mark a new start," he said, adding that the negotiations should lay the foundation for "a long-term peaceful relationship".

During the talks, Chen and Chiang agreed on strengthening the exchange of visits between ARATS and SEF personnel, and enhancing economic, cultural and social visits at various levels.

In addition to the ARATS and the SEF setting up representative offices, the two sides agreed to resume the liaison officer system to handle emergency cases related to life and property of people on both sides.

Pang Chien-kuo, SEF deputy secretary-general, said the representative offices would facilitate people exchanges and travel across the Straits.

Established in the early 1990s, the ARATS and the SEF are authorized semi-official bodies engaged in talks on cross-Straits exchanges.

But their exchanges were suspended in 1999 when the then Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui redefined the two sides' ties as a "special state-to-state relationship".

Yesterday, Chen said the two sides have taken the approach of "economy before politics, the easy problems before the difficult ones".

The talks in the morning were followed by consultations on cross-Straits weekend chartered flights and mainland tourists' travel to Taiwan, with both sides "reaching full agreement on all terms".

The two sides are scheduled to sign related agreements today.

Chiao Jen-ho, former SEF vice-chairman and secretary-general, said the talks "face a favorable environment that we had never imagined before".

Chiu Chin-yi, another former SEF vice-chairman and secretary-general, said the dialogue between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) had laid a favorable foundation for building trust, which led to the resumption of SEF-ARATS talks.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2008)