Taiwan authorities' policy to restrict cross-Straits economic exchange and cooperation will ultimately undermine Taiwan economy and impair the interests of the Taiwan people, a central government spokesman said in Beijing Tuesday.

"It is a practice of seeking personal interests at the expense of the interests of all Taiwan compatriots," said Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a regular press conference.

"We can clearly see whose interests are impaired by the new cross-Straits economic policy put forward by the leader of Taiwan authorities," he said.

Taiwan's economy could not maintain its current development without economic and trade cooperation and exchange across the Straits, said Li.

Every year, tens of thousands of Taiwan-invested companies on the mainland are importing a large amount of equipment and raw materials from Taiwan for their production needs, he said.

In 2005, Taiwan recorded a trade surplus of 58 billion U.S. dollars against the mainland, said Li, citing the latest statistics. "Taiwan has gained an accumulated trade surplus of 330 billion U.S. dollars from the mainland, even more than Taiwan's current foreign exchange reserve."

If there was no huge trade surplus against the mainland, Taiwan would sure have a deficit in its overall trade, Li said.

Statistics from Taiwan showed that the island province scored a surplus of 7 billion U.S. dollars in overall trade in 2005. "If Taiwan had not gained a huge trade surplus from the mainland, it would have seen a trade deficit in the year," Li said.

"Taiwan authorities should have a clear idea about how the huge trade surplus against the mainland has directly pushed forward Taiwan's economy, created job opportunities in Taiwan and increased the income of the Taiwan people," he said.

"We would like to reiterate here that the development of cross-Straits economic exchange and cooperation is in the fundamental interests of people on both sides, and is also conducive to the common development and prosperity of both sides," he said.

"We will try our utmost to do anything beneficial to the Taiwan people and to the promotion of cross-Straits exchange. This is the solemn promise we have made to the Taiwan compatriots," said Li.

"No matter what happens, we will not change our promise."

Asked whether the mainland will allow more Taiwan residents to become self-employed business owners in cities other than Xiamen, Li responded:"I think more local governments will do so."

Earlier, the industrial and commercial administration of Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province, approved the first application from a Taiwan resident to become a self-employed business owner in the city.

Source: Xinhua