President Xi meets Taiwan politician

BOAO, Hainan - Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Vincent Siew, honorary chairman of the Taiwan-based cross-Straitss Common Market Foundation, at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 on Monday.

During the meeting, Xi noted that the Chinese mainland's resolution to push forward the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations is steadfast, and its policies and guidelines for Taiwan are clear.

Xi said the mainland will maintain various policies that have proven effective in promoting cross-Straits relations and bringing benefits to people from the mainland and Taiwan.

It is important that people from the mainland and Taiwan realize and take advantage of the historic opportunities to push forward the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, according to Xi.

The president said he hopes cross-Straits economic cooperation can be boosted by compatriots across the Strait through the concept of "one family."

In order to deepen cross-Straits economic cooperation, Taiwan companies investing in the Chinese mainland will be treated as equal to mainland companies, he vowed.

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan should jointly push cross-Straits economic cooperation to a new level by strengthening cross-Straits high-level dialogues and coordination, in the president's view.

He said the two sides should accelerate industrial cooperation, expand two-way investment, and deepen cooperation in financial services.

During the meeting, Xi also voiced his hope of improving institutional levels of economic cooperation by accelerating negotiations on follow-up issues regarding the 2010 Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement.

Ways to promote common economic development and regional economic cooperation should be discussed in the proper capacities, Xi said, adding that the two sides should work hard to wrap up negotiations on the trade in goods and dispute settlement issues by the end of 2013.

He also called on compatriots across the Taiwan Strait to jointly work toward achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Siew hailed the development of cross-Straits relations over the past five years, saying Taiwan and the Chinese mainland should treasure the "fruitful" achievements and deepen mutual trust and cooperation, so as to make greater achievements in promoting cross-Straits relations.

Yang Yi, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, described the meeting between Xi and Siew as "positive" and "fruitful," at a briefing in Boao on Monday.

Yang said that the two sides exchanged views on the development of cross-Straits relations, especially ideas on strengthening cross-Straits economic cooperation.

Both sides praised the achievements that have been made over cross-Straits relations in the past five years, according to the spokesman.

The two sides agreed to deepen mutual trust and cooperation in order to bring more benefit to the people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, Yang added.