The Chinese mainland will keep to its policies and continue to promote cross-strait economic ties, An Min, deputy minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), told a seminar in Beijing on Friday.
However, the Taiwan authorities, regardless of the wishes of people in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, had put up hurdles to cross-strait economic cooperation, despite both mainland and Taiwan having entered the World Trade Organization (WTO), An said at the seminar on economic and trade cooperation across the Taiwan Straits, and with Hong Kong and Macao.
Restrictions by the Taiwan authorities, though they had eased slightly recently, had seriously blocked the development of economic ties between the two sides, the official said.
The Chinese mainland had been working to boost cross-strait economic cooperation and intended to continue doing so in the future, An said.
Among those present at the seminar were Wang Guangying, vice-chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, Sun Fuling, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and over 100 representatives from business circles.
(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2002)
