A Chinese government official said Wednesday the mainland will continue to vigorously push forward economic, cultural and personnel exchanges with Taiwan despite the present grave situation of relations across the Taiwan Straits.

Wang Zaixi, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a forum on cross-Strait relations and economic and trade exchanges that people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to the same family.

They should step up exchanges and cooperation to seek common development, he said.

Wang said all obstacles hindering the common development of the two sides should be removed. The mainland side always maintains that political differences should not stand in the way of cross-Strait economic cooperation and he welcomed Taiwan compatriots to do business on the mainland.

Wang said the mainland will continue to protect all legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots in accordance with the law, but would not tolerate some individuals that support "Taiwan independence" while reaping profits from economic and trade activities with the mainland.

He said the biggest obstacle to cross-Strait economic and trade relations is "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. If Chen Shui-bian continues to pursue "Taiwan independence" single-mindedly, he will ultimately harm the fundamental interests of Taiwan compatriots.

Meanwhile, if "Taiwan independence" activities are not brought under effective control, they will ultimately and surely undermine the stability and development of cross-Strait relations, he said.

Only through resolutely curbing "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, can a peaceful and stable cross-Strait situation be realized and cross-Strait relations develop steadily in a healthy way. 

Fight against "Taiwan independence" most pressing task

Determined crackdown upon and effective containment of "Taiwan independence" have become the most pressing task for compatriots across the Taiwan Straits, said Wang Zaixi.

"It is extremely dangerous for the Taiwan authorities to miscalculate the situation that the motherland would tolerate 'Taiwan independence' in consideration of economic development and the hosting of Beijing Olympics," Wang said.

The firm crackdown against and effective containment of "Taiwan independence" separatism concern the peace and stability of the Straits, China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and the prospect of peaceful reunification, and have become "the most pressing task" for mainland and Taiwan compatriots, he said.

"The current cross-Straits situation is severe," he said, noting the separatist forces have become the largest threat to the peace and stability in the region.

"We will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China through any means," he said.

He expressed hope that the Taiwan authorities will admit the fact that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China, and said that Taiwan's proposal for cross-Straits negotiations with no conditions utterly cheats the public.

"The Chinese people are fully prepared to completely foil the 'Taiwan independence' separatist attempts," he said. 

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2004)