In the meeting, Qian said the mainland government would take effective steps to promote chartered flights across the Taiwan Straits and direct links between Penghu Island and coastal regions in Fujian Province.

All these issues are concerns of the Taiwan compatriots, he said.

Qian welcomed the delegation's visit to the mainland to promote direct links across the Straits.

Exchanges and cooperation between the two sides have been closer these years, said the vice premier, noting that the fields which are of mutual benefit are increasing, a trend he called beneficial to the stable and peaceful relationship between the two sides.

This year is the 10th year anniversary of the first "Wang-Koo Talks" between the authorized non-governmental organizations of the mainland and Taiwan, held in Singapore between Wang Daohan, chairman of the mainland Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Koo Chen-fu.

Qian said he hoped that by recognizing the "one China" principal, the Taiwan authority will resume dialogue and negotiation that are key to improving the cross-strait relationship.

The vice premier said that non-governmental industry associations from both sides can find flexible means of linking each other for the benefit of the economy on both sides.

The Taiwan delegation is here at the invitation of ARATS.

(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2003)