Wang Zaixi, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the rhetoric change has amply demonstrated the mainland's sincerity and growing pragmatism in developing bilateral relations.

"Given the current deadlocked political ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, the new wording can help us steer clear of politically sensitive hurdles to directly start related talks as soon as possible," Wang said in an exclusive interview.

He said the goodwill gesture may encourage more progress in resuming direct trade, transport and postal services -- known as the "three links" -- which have been banned by Taipei since 1949.

"We also hope our goodwill and kindness will be reciprocated by the Taiwanese side and they should take concrete steps to scrap the existing ban (on the links)," he said.

On Thursday, Vice-Premier Qian Qichen was quoted as saying for the first time that direct air and shipping links between the two sides can be known as "cross-Straits" instead of "domestic," as previously proposed by the mainland.

Beijing and Taipei have been at odds about how to label the routes as the former insists the links should be regarded as "special domestic transportation routes" while the latter strongly demands they be treated as "specially managed international ones."

Wang said Beijing's shift is "nothing but an objective description of the nature of these routes themselves."

He stressed that the redefinition did not go against Beijing's long-standing and cherished one-China principle that both Taiwan and the mainland are part of China.

The change conforms to the mainland's principle of not letting politics interfere with economic issues, according to Wang.

(China Daily October 19, 2002)