Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, again released news favoring Taiwan and its people in terms of cross-Straits economic and trade relations at a meeting with visiting legislative leader of Kuomintang (KMT) party Tseng Yung-Chuan on Wednesday.

The stance of the Chinese mainland can be boiled down to three points.

First, the Chinese mainland welcomes exchange of views on the matters of charter flight across the Taiwan Straits and mainland tourists to the island with personages from all Taiwan-based political parties and groups, including the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who support the development of cross-Straits relations.

Second, while reiterating the consistent proposal that the questions of cargo charter flight and passenger charter flight can be put together under consultation, arrangement and simultaneous operation, the Chinese mainland adds that the agenda of specific consultations, for cargo flight to be discussed first or passenger flight, can be negotiated between the civil aviation trade organizations of the two sides.

Third, the mainland has made full preparations for its residents' travel to Taiwan, as relevant regulations drafted by departments including National Tourism Administration and other related departments will be released soon. The mainland doesn't object to officials with related departments of Taiwan to join the talks in non-governmental capacity.

Recently, new changes have been seen in the cross-Straits relations. Taiwan authority leader has been clamoring for the abolishing of Taiwan's "National Unification Council" and "National Unification Guideline", which triggered panic and only roused stronger public longing for stability and prosperity. To whatever changes on the island, the mainland still concerns itself with the Taiwan compatriots, and will, as always, make utmost efforts for their well-being with a broader mind and more flexible approaches. The Taiwan compatriots are our flesh-and-blood brothers therefore we won't change our solemn commitment to them upon any deliberate provocation and obstruction.

Cross-Straits cargo and passenger charter flights and mainland resident's travel to Taiwan, both warmly welcomed by the two sides and the international community, are favorable to residents on both sides, particularly to boosting Taiwan's economy.

The mainland has for many times proposed that the civil aviation operators on the mainland and Taiwan can start negotiations as soon as possible on making cross-Straits passenger charter flight regular and permanent, and launching cargo charter flights, by the same means as that during the Spring Festival.

In the beginning, the mainland considered the issue of passenger charter flight as comparatively urgent, while the Taiwan side favored cargo flight first. Taking account of the will, the mainland proposed that the issues of cargo and passenger flights be put under negotiation together, which received positive response from the island. This time, the mainland again holds an open, flexible and down-to-earth attitude concerning with whom to talk and agenda of the consultations, which fully indicates the mainland's sincerity to do it well.

Mainland residents' travel to Taiwan is not a new topic either. Over the recent years, quite a few personages on the two sides have earnestly engaged themselves in preparation because it can satisfy mainland people's longing for a "tour in China's precious island", promote mutual understanding between people, as well as enhance Taiwan's economy, so, why not.

Since it was announced last May the opening of mainland tourists to Taiwan, the mainland has stepped up preparations in this respect. Last November, after an inspection tour to Taiwan with other delegates, head of China Tourism Association Shao Qiwei said basic conditions have all been available for mainland tourists' travel to the island. Soon after the announcement, it can be said that the issue has entered a "countdown", for the mainland's regulations to be issued. After all, as for the question that when will mainland tourists make it to Taiwan in delegations, it still depends on Taiwan's positive response and collaboration.

In March 2005, Hu Jintao set forth four viewpoints on improving and developing cross-Straits relations, which say "Anything beneficial to the Taiwan compatriots and conducive to the promotion of cross-Straits exchange, to the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan Straits region and to the motherland's peaceful reunification, we will do it with our utmost efforts and will do it well."

This is a solemn promise to our Taiwan compatriots. The efforts made by the Chinese mainland in the past year are a best footnote for the commitment.

The article on the front page of People's Daily Overseas Edition, Feb. 24, is authored by Sun Shengliang, research fellow at Institute of Taiwan Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and translated by People's Daily Online