A spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council reiterated that there is only one China in the world, with both the mainland and Taiwan being the "same one China."

The spokesman made the remark while commenting on Thursday's talks between Chen Shui-bian and James Soong and their "10-point consensus."

Although the two sides have yet to be unified, the fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same one China has never changed, the spokesman said.

"We have confidence, sincerity and patience for increasing communications and mutual understanding with Taiwan compatriots by strengthening exchanges and promoting cooperation, so as to achieve a bright prospects for the development of the cross-straits relations," he said.

He attributed the current difficulties in the cross-straits ties to the Taiwan authorities, who do not recognized the One-China Principle and have denied that a consensus on the issue of reunification was achieved by the two sides in 1992.

(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2005)