Chinese mainland residents with permits to travel to Taiwan will be able to travel to and back from Taiwan through the islands of Jinmen, Mazu and Penghu, Wang Yi, director of State Council Taiwan Affairs Office announced on Sunday.

Wang announced this and other new measures to facilitate exchanges across the Taiwan Strait at a forum on the economic area of the west side of the Taiwan Strait held in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province.

Up to now, mainland travelers had two ways to reach Taiwan: indirect flights via Hong Kong or Macao or non-stop charter flights on weekends.

Since July 20, residents in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai and the provinces of Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Hubei, Guangdong, Chongqing, Yunnan and Shaanxi have been allowed to visit Taiwan in groups, under an agreement between the mainland and Taiwan authorities. Wang said the mainland is considering to expand the list.

He said starting on Oct. 20, Taiwan compatriots traveling to the mainland could get Mainland Travel Permits for Taiwan Residents (MTPs) or change their old MTPs into new ones with a valid period of five years in more places, namely the municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing and in Zhejiang Province, in addition to Shanghai, Jiangsu and Fujian.

He said starting on Sept. 25, each MTP holder will have a unique lifetime number. The rules for MTP codes are adjusted to facilitate Taiwan residents to go through relevant procedures in the mainland.

He said the mainland will add Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Guilin and Shenzhen to the list of places that issue travel permits to Taiwan compatriots as of Oct. 20.

Wang hoped that both sides would do more to establish direct cross-Strait links for mail, trade and transportation as early as possible.

He said that cross-Strait industrial cooperation should be expanded, while financial collaboration needed solid development. He added that a cross-Strait economic cooperation mechanism should be established to provide the basis for mutually beneficial ties.

Since March, significant and positive changes have taken place in Taiwan, presenting precious opportunities for the development of cross-Strait ties, Wang said.

With concerted effort by both sides, cross-Strait ties have moved into a track of peaceful development, bringing concrete benefits to compatriots on both sides, he said.

He called on both sides to continue to strengthen the development momentum and create a new framework of peaceful development to safeguard the overall, long-term interest of the Chinese nation.

He promised to seriously deal with everything that concerns the Taiwan compatriots' interests, faithfully implement pledges made to them and solve their difficulties.

Wang envisioned a new cross-Strait situation of more frequent personnel exchanges, more harmonious relations between compatriots of both sides, broader cooperation and closer economic and cultural ties, resulting from both sides' efforts.

He also pledged support for Fujian to implement the strategy of developing the west side of the Taiwan Strait to further promote its trade and economic, cultural and personnel exchanges with Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2008)