Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, raised a four-point proposal on expanding economic exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits on Thursday.

"Firstly, the two sides should shelve their differences and strive to create a sound environment for economic exchange and cooperation," said Jia, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at the first forum of elites from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Jia said a solution could be found to the political difference of the two sides through negotiations based on the "1992 consensus", which embodies the one China principle.

Secondly, Jia said, the realization of three direct links across the Straits should be pushed forward in compliance with the wishes of the people. The breakthrough for the direct links lies in the direct passenger flights and chartered cargo flights, said Jia.

He said the mainland is willing to adopt flexible, practical and effective practices to facilitate non-governmental organizations on both sides to negotiate over the passenger and cargo flights as quickly as possible modeled on the Spring Festival chartered flights.

Thirdly, cross-Straits economic exchange and cooperation should be elevated in traditional industries, finance and other service sectors by optimizing the structure and geological location of cooperative projects and beefing up exchange and cooperation on new and high technology and basic science, he said.

Fourthly, a cross-Straits economic cooperation mechanism should be established to normalize, regulate and stabilize cross-Straits economic relations, Jia said.

The mechanism mainly consists of a conference system and a coordination agency to discuss major issues in cross-Straits economic exchange and cooperation, coordinate investment and trade policies and adjust allocation of resources and division of labor.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2005)