The two sides across the Taiwan Straits should achieve a win-win result instead of zero-sum confrontation, said James Soong, chairman of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan.

Soong made the remark at the opening ceremony of the first forum of elites from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, which opened here Thursday.

Cooperation will benefit the two sides while separation will harm the two sides, he said. Therefore, the mainland and Taiwan should establish a mutual-trust economic mechanism on a cooperated, mutually complementary basis, said Soong.

Communication and economic exchanges are of great importance for the mainland and Taiwan in participating global competition of enterprises, he noted.

The two-day forum attracted more than 120 scholars and business celebrities from both sides of the Straits. They will discuss issues such as the economic development of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan businessmen's investment in the mainland, direct air and shipping links across the Straits, the prospect of agricultural exchange and cooperation between the two sides, and improvement in cross-Straits investment and trade during the forum.

Jointly sponsored by Taiwan Work Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the policy research center of the PFP Central Committee, the forum is regarded as a major step in implementing the communique issued after the meeting between General Secretary Hu Jintao of the CPC Central Committee and PFP Chairman James Soong in May.

Source: Xinhua