CHANGSHA: The fifth Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Culture Forum closed here Sunday with Chinese mainland and Taiwan participants agreeing to promote cultural exchanges and educational cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (L) sings a household melody named "The Moon Represents My Heart" with mainland singer Zhang Liangying during a soiree to mark the fifth Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Culture Forum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Saturday July 11, 2009. [Xinhua]

The written language used on both sides of the Straits belongs to the same system, the proposal said.

The two sides should acknowledge the commonality of their language, it said.

Scholars should cooperate in developing software to help bridge language gaps between simplified and traditional Chinese characters, it proposed.

The two sides could also use cultural resources to jointly create top brand names, foster cultural market and promote culture industries, as well as set up criteria to step up intellectual property rights protection, it said.

Interaction in the broadcast, film and television sector should also be deepened and more joint projects in film and TV should be encouraged, it suggested.

Mainland and Taiwan media institutions should be allowed to set up resident bureaus on each other's side at an early date to deepen information exchange, it said.

The proposal also encouraged and supported intercollegiate communications and cooperation between mainland and Taiwan universities, such as student exchange programs and acknowledgement of credits.

Authorities should also support Taiwan companies in exploring the mainland market to seek better development.

Both sides could jointly develop technologies and products in the fields of energy conservation and new energy, it proposed.