Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi said on Friday that political differences should not interfere with cooperation in trade and economy across the Taiwan Straits.

The Chinese mainland has made unremitting efforts to resume direct trade, transportation and postal links across the Taiwan Straits, and progress has been made, said Wu at a forum on cross-Straits cooperation in trade and economy held in the coastal city of Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province.

But it is a pity that a few members of the Taiwan authorities have turned a blind eye to the will of the Taiwan people and violated the objective rules of economic development to delay and hinder the process, said Wu.

Their behavior has led to a long-term indirect and unilateral link between the mainland and Taiwan in trade and economic cooperation, said the vice premier.

Despite the obstacles, cross-Straits cooperation in trade and economy has grown substantially over the past 20 years. Government statistics show the trade volume has exceeded 90 billion U.S. dollars. Taiwan investment on the mainland has risen to 43 billion U.S. dollars.

It has become the common aspiration of compatriots from both sides of the Straits to build a peaceful yet stable cross-Straits relationship, said Wu.

Efforts should be made to push forward direct and bilateral cross-Straits exchanges in trade, investment and personnel, said Wu, calling for removal of policy barriers preventing normal development of cross-Straits trade and investment.

The vice premier also expressed hope that the scope of direct cross-Straits communication from Kinmen and Matsu to the Penghu region would be expanded.

Cross-Straits industrial cooperation should be deepened in such hi-tech sectors as semi-conductor, photoelectric and biochemical products, as well as in the service industry and agriculture, she said.

The central government will push forward negotiations on the establishment of a cross-Straits mechanism in financial supervision and currency liquidation by non-governmental organizations, said Wu.

Source: Xinhua