The Chinese mainland will speed up the discussions and signing of the economic pact with Taiwan, a mainland spokesman said Wednesday, noting that discussions on setting up a military and security mutual trust mechanism would be conducted at an appropriate time.

Both sides across the Taiwan Strait should work together toward the goal of signing the cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) as soon as possible, Yang Yi, a spokesman of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, told a regular press conference.

He made the remarks in response to a question whether the pact would be signed in June.

When the pact would be signed depends on the progress of talks between the two sides, he said.

Experts from the two sides held the first round of talks in Beijing on Jan. 26 to prepare for formal discussions on the ECFA between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), two organizations authorized to handle cross-Strait issues.

The two sides are still discussing the date of the second round of expert discussions, Yang said.

Premier Wen Jiabao told a press conference on March 14 that the negotiation and signature of the ECFA should be based on equal consultation, mutual benefit and taking account of both sides' concerns.

"Wen's remarks have reaffirmed our consistent stand and indicated our goodwill," Yang said.

The ECFA aims at institutionalizing economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.

"Studies done by the mainland and Taiwan research institutions showed that the ECFA will help both sides' economic development," Yang said.

Yang confirmed that Vice Commerce Minister Jiang Zengwei will visit Taiwan late this month to participate in a cross-Strait trade event.

But he refused to comment on whether Jiang's visit is related to the ECFA talks.

Cross-Strait relations have improved over the past two years, a period featuring the signing of a series of agreements on air and postal services, tourism, and financial and judicial cooperation between the two sides.

Yang said the mainland agreed to discuss the establishment of a military and security mutual trust mechanism across the Taiwan Strait at an appropriate time.

Cross-Strait military exchanges "should be done step by step, dealing with the easy first and the hard later," he said.

Yang said the exchange of retired servicemen and relevant experts and scholars would be a good choice to begin the work.

As a sign of deepening cooperation, the two sides will exchange frequent visits in the coming months, according to the spokesman.

The mainland's ARATS will send six to seven delegations to Taiwan this year while its Taiwan counterpart, the SEF, will send five to six delegations to the mainland, Yang said.

The mainland delegations will seek to promote mainland investment in the island, religious exchanges, prevention and relief of natural disasters, cooperation between small and medium businesses as well as between the medical, agricultural and judicial sectors, he said.

Wang Fuqing, ARATS vice president, will lead a religious delegation to Taiwan from March 18 to 26, Yang said.

A delegation led by Chiang Pin-kung, SEF chairman, will visit Taiwan businesses in three cities of Changsha, Hefei and Nanchang on the mainland from March 24 to 30, he said.

In addition, Yang confirmed Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng will visit Taiwan in early April to promote the World Expo 2010, which is due to open in Shanghai in May.

Also in April, Luo Qingquan, party chief of central China's Hubei Province, will lead a delegation to Taiwan to promote business, technological and cultural cooperation.

Liang Baohua, chief of the Communist Party of China's Jiangsu Provincial Committee, was the first provincial-level party chief to visit Taiwan last year. Senior officials from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Henan province also have led delegations to Taiwan.

Fan Liqing, a spokeswoman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Feb. 24 that the Chinese mainland planned to send more provincial heavyweights to visit Taiwan this year.