The Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief on Thursday showed gratitude to Taiwan rescuers who worked for countless hours to save missing mainland tourists after their bus was hit by typhoon-triggered landslides.

Taiwan authorities have paid close attention and have mobilized many rescuers and resources in a comprehensive rescue mission which demonstrated "humanitarian spirit" and "brotherhood" between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, said Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Deadly landslides on Oct. 21 on Taiwan's eastern coastal Suao-Hualien Highway left three confirmed death, including one mainland tourist named Gong Yan, as of Thursday. Among the 23 reported missing, 19 mainland tourists' relatives have received death certificates for their loved ones in Ilan Wednesday.

Wang, who is also director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said he hoped both sides would improve exchanges and cooperation in the future and adopt concrete measures to avoid such accidents.

Cross-Straits Tourism Exchange Association announced Thursday that relatives of mainland mudslide victims would begin returning the mainland Friday.

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