Taiwan should 'change inappropriate cross-Straits policies'

BEIJING - Taiwan authorities should "keep pace with the times" to amend inappropriate cross-Straits policies and regulations, a mainland official said Wednesday.

Leader of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou recently proposed examining the island's cross-Straits relation act, a move that has won support in Taiwan.

Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said relevant regulations of the island should be adjusted to meet the demands of cross-Straits exchanges after major breakthroughs have been made in mainland-Taiwan relations since May 2008.

In regards to the current Taiwan trip being made by Chen Yunlin, president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, Fan said the visiting group of painters and calligraphers led by Chen has deepened cross-Straits cooperation in cultural creative industries.

On promoting the signing of a cross-Straits peace agreement, Fan said it is possible for the discussion on safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Straits to first proceed in academic circles on both sides, which is conducive to building political mutual trust.

The mainland and Taiwan have been estranged since 1949, when the Kuomintang Party was defeated in a civil war by the Communist Party of China and fled to Taiwan.