The mainland is willing to resume trade with Taiwan in natural
sand "as soon as conditions are ripe", a mainland spokesman said on
Wednesday.
The mainland stopped the export of natural sand, a resource
Taiwan's construction industry depends on the mainland to supply,
on March 31.
The mainland has established an effective negotiation mechanism
with Hong Kong and Macao and resumed the trade with the two
regions, said Yang Yi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of
the State Council at a regular press conference.
But such a negotiation mechanism is yet to be set up with
Taiwan, he said.
The mainland has previously complained that obstacles created by
the Taiwan authorities have hindered talks across the Taiwan Strait
on natural sand.
It also urged the Taiwan to consider the fundamental interests
of the people on both sides of the Strait and remove barriers to
negotiations, in order to create "ripe conditions".
In recent years, the mainland has boosted cross-Strait trade
ties, including promoting the sales of Taiwan fruit, vegetables and
aquatic products on the mainland.
Yang also rejected rumors that the mainland will ban the
establishment of new schools for the children of Taiwan
businessmen.
The mainland has never issued such a ban, he said. Taiwan
businessmen have to decide themselves whether or not to set up new
schools for their children in areas where they have invested
heavily.
The mainland now has three schools for the children of Taiwan
businessmen -- in Dongguan City in south China's Guangdong
Province, Kunshan City in east China's Jiangsu Province and
Shanghai.
(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2007)