Dear Press friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

Thank you all for joining us here today and for your concern about China and close cooperation with the Chinese Embassy here. It’s well known that just a few days ago, a substantial step had been moving towards the national reunification between mainland China and Taiwan. That’s why I invite you here to share you the latest relations across the Taiwan Straits. I would also like to answer any questions you have for me.

As you know that last week, Mr. Chen Yunlin, President of the Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), paid a five-day milestone visit to the Taiwan island. This is the first ARATS chief and highest ranking official from mainland China to visit Taiwan island since 1949. This is also the first time for the leaders of the ARATS and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) which were founded in 1991 and 1990 respectively, to have their regular meeting in Taiwan. Both ARATS and SEF are authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-strait civilian exchanges at present time. This visit is of great significance not only for the Chinese national reunification, but also for the peace and stability of Asian Pacific region and the whole world as well.

Mr. Chen and his delegation paid their visit to Taiwan on November 3th to 7th. During their visit, Mr. Chen held talks with SEF chairman Chiang Pin-kung and meetings with the heads of the ruling party, seminars with experts and business circles, and reached broad consensus on how to deepen and expand cross-Strait economic cooperation and how to join hands together to deal with the international financial turmoil to benefit the compatriots across the Straits. Four agreements had been signed on direct flights, shipping and postal services and food safety.

The agreements on direct flights, shipping and postal services that compatriots on both sides have been longing for over past 30 years have become a reality. Indeed, the significance of the agreements is far beyond themselves, but to demonstrate the common aspirations and commitments of the Chinese people across Taiwan Straits to moving towards the national reunification of China.

According to the Agreement on direct flights, the daily direct flights from Taiwan to mainland China and from mainland China to Taiwan will start soon to replace the previous arrangement of the weekend charter flight services adapted in June this year. Such an agreement on direct flight provides great convenience for closer exchanges of personnel visits and economic cooperation and will definitely promote the mutual understanding and trust of the people across the Straits. As you know that direct flight from Taipei to Shanghai is just about 80 minutes, but under current weekend charter flight arrangements, it takes two hours and 42 minutes as planes have to fly over Hong Kong or Macao. The number of flights will increase to 108 every week from nowadays 36 return flights.

Under the agreement on direct shipping, passenger and cargo ships, owned by mainland and Taiwan companies registered in the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong may sail directly across the Straits subject to official approval. The mainland will open 63 ports to Taiwan ships while Taiwan will open 11. The two sides also agreed to increase the number of ports based on "developing situation". Furthermore, the two sides agreed to set up a cooperative mechanism on salvage. "In the event of a shipwreck, both sides will inform each other speedily and arrange salvage operations." Shipping companies from both the mainland and Taiwan are allowed to set up representative offices and branches on both sides.

Under the agreement on direct post, mail services including letters and parcels, express mail services and postal remittances, will be available across the Straits and other forms of postal services will be strengthened.

On November 6, the new leader of Taiwan Mr. Ma Ying-jeou met with Mr. Chen Yunlin and his delegation.

Mr. Ma commented that the landmark talks between the ARATS and the SEF in Taiwan were of great significance and marked a big step in cross-strait relations. Ma said he believed the development was the wish of the people of both sides and would contribute to cross-strait stability and prosperity. Ma said the talks between the ARATS and the SEF had been fruitful and would have a positive impact on facilitating cross-strait personnel exchanges, boosting economic and trade ties, strengthening food safety and coping with global financial turmoil. Ma said differences and challenges still remained between the mainland and Taiwan. And he expressed his hope that the two sides would handle the differences with a positive attitude and keep cooperating. He hoped for more high-level visits between the mainland and Taiwan and for more beneficial talks between the ARATS and the SEF.

Both the ARATS and the SEF shared the consensus that closer cooperation and exchanges can only further benefit the people on both sides and unsettled issues across the Straits could all be resolved through deepened trust and cooperation.

It’s very encouraging that much progress has been made since the two organizations resumed talks a little more than half a year ago. The substantial step towards the national reunification of China had been moving on.

Firstly, Mr.Chen's visit has significantly improved the new negotiation mechanism to conduct broader exchanges for peace and development across the Taiwan Straits. The talks in Taipei marked significant progress in institutionalization of the ARATS-SEF consultations, from the previous "one-way" visits to mainland by the Taiwanese side, to the current first trip to the island by mainland officials. It meant that the ARATS and the SEF had truly realized a mutual visit.

Secondly, it opened a new era of cross-strait relations. The discussions between the two sides have reached a new level. The latest development has showed us that both mainland and Taiwan Island have recognized that close cooperation and peaceful development are in the best interest of the people of both sides of Taiwan Straits. The first-ever visit to Taiwan by the ARATS chief signified that a regular cross-strait consultation process had begun and relations were progressing in the direction of peace and development.

Thirdly, the latest development across the Taiwan Straits has gained broad supports from peoples on both sides of the Straits and the international community as well. Most of the people in Taiwan and all the people in mainland China welcome the historic meeting in Taipei and the agreements signed for the “three-direct-links”.

It’s quite understandable that some different voices disturbed during the visit in Taiwan, because the people from both sides of Taiwan Straits has been separated for almost 60 years. We need time to understand each other and build up mutual trust. And as we know that there are some splittists in the Island who don’t like to see the peaceful development across the straits and exhausted themselves to make troubles against the national reunification of China, but they will never succeed.

And we are very happy to see that the international community led by the governments of America, Japan and Europe sent clear and strong messages to support the latest development across the Taiwan Straits. We highly appreciate that the African governments and peoples always support One China Policy and the great cause of the national reunification of China.

At this moment, I would like to highly appreciate the decision of establishing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China made by H.E. President Mutharika of the Republic of Malawi. It’s really a wise and timely decision from which I believed the Malawian people could benefit to the most extent. China strongly believes that relations between our two countries should be beneficial to the peoples and conducive to the national development of our two countries. Up to now, much progresses and achievements have been made in our bilateral relations. And the potentials for the win-win cooperation between our two countries are so huge. I am very confident that with our concerted efforts, the relations between our two countries will bring about more fruits to benefit our two peoples.

Thank you.