(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-05 23:31

An official with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council revealed on Wednesday that people traveling between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached 2.3 million person-times in the first six months.

Dai Xiaofeng, director of the communication bureau of the office, told Xinhua that admission to the mainland from Taiwan have accounted for 2.2 million person-times, an increase of 5.4 percent year-on-year.

Mainland citizens' entry to the island has also seen a year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent to 1.01 million person-times, Dai added.

According to accumulative statistics of the office, entries to the both sides across the Taiwan Straits have achieved increases in four consecutive years since SARS crisis in 2003.

The director said the mainland hoped Taiwan authority could permit tourism entry for mainland citizens to the island as soon as possible.

"Compatriots on both sides are eager to realize tourism entry to Taiwan," he said, noting that tourism guilds on both sides have hold five consultations since last year to discuss details of tourism to Taiwan.

Closer communication across the Straits has allowed people on both sides to make more progress by cooperation in education, cultural exchanges, technology, health, religion and other fields.

Nearly one hundred mainland colleges and universities have signed cooperative contracts with Taiwan educational partners, and students in Taiwan have shown more interests to apply for mainland colleges.

Health authorities of the mainland and Taiwan have exchanged information on epidemic situations for 23 times since disease control departments of the both sides established a communicating channel last year.

Moreover, the mainland has established 54 measures favorable to Taiwan in cross-Straits communication in education, entry and other citizen treatment since 2005, said Dai.

The Ministry of Public Security increased three entry ports in the mainland for Taiwan citizen's entry and the Ministry of Personnel allowed Taiwan citizens to apply for 15 professional qualifying examinations at the end of April.