Businessmen expected to bridge cross-Straits ties

SHANGHAI - The mainland's Taiwan affairs chief has expressed hopes that mainland-based Taiwan businessmen will actively promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

Zhang Zhijun, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the call on Wednesday while meeting with Taiwan businessmen in Shanghai.

Zhang also asked Taiwan businessmen to seize opportunities that will be brought about by the upcoming signing of a service trade agreement between the mainland and Taiwan.

The cross-Strait service trade agreement will soon be submitted for endorsement, which will create a wide space for economic cooperation, Zhang said, encouraging Taiwan businessmen to seize the opportunity and capitalize on mainland policies such as those to expand domestic demand, restructure the economy and improve people's livelihood.

Moreover, Zhang said the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) have made progress in establishing representative offices on each other's sides.

The representative offices are not of a diplomatic nature, but are meant to better serve the people from both sides, Zhang said.

Zhang also learned about business operations and the lives of the Taiwan businessmen in Shanghai.