Beijing urged Taipei Wednesday to respond positively to the mainland's growing flexibility and pragmatism regarding cross-Straits relations and to return to political negotiations as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Beijing assured the island that the mainland's policy towards Taiwan will not change under the new leadership headed by Hu Jintao, the newly elected secretary-general of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Zhang Mingqing, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press conference that Beijing's sincere goodwill gestures towards Taiwan were well represented by President Jiang Zemin's exposition on the Taiwan question in his speech to the just-concluded 16th Party congress.

During his report to the Party congress between November 8-14, Jiang, former party general secretary, said Taiwan and the mainland can "shelve for now certain political disputes'' in order to discuss the topics of most concern to the Taiwan side.

The three major topics include the official end of the state of hostility between the two sides, international space for the island and the political status of the Taiwan authorities, according to Jiang.

Zhang said the fresh overture greatly demonstrates the mainland's utmost sincerity and tolerance in developing cross-Straits ties.

"We hope the Taiwan authorities will treat the matter seriously this time and restart cross-Straits dialogue and negotiations at an early date on the basis of the 1992 consensus,'' the spokesman said.

In November 1992, an informal oral agreement was reached between Beijing's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and its Taipei counterpart Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) that says both sides of the Straits adhere to the one-China principle.

The consensus highlighted cross-Straits negotiations through semi-official bodies launched in the early 1990s due to the absence of official links.

But talks between ARATS and SEF were broken off after former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui introduced the "two states'' theory in July 1999, which defines the ties between both sides of the Taiwan Straits as a state-to-state relationship.

A stalemate in the relations has ensued as Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian, from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has refused to accept Beijing's one-China principle that Taiwan is part of China. Chen has also denied the existence of the 1992 consensus.

Zhang, however, said Jiang's concrete and feasible proposal for future cross-Straits talks may create enough manoeuvering room for both sides to break the current political stalemate.

The proposal, which will "point out a clear road to resumption of cross-Straits negotiations and bring brighter prospects for a peaceful national reunification,'' is worth Taipei's earnest response, he added.

The spokesman also said the mainland's Taiwan policy has remained and will remain consistent and coherent following the conclusion of the 16th Party congress.

"This means we will continue to implement the policies of peaceful reunification, `one country, two systems' and Jiang's eight-point proposals on developing relations,'' he said.

Zhang stressed the one-China principle is the basis and precondition for any future political talks.

But in addressing some practical matters, such as the establishment of the three direct links and some economic affairs, the two sides do not have to touch upon the political meaning of one China, the spokesman said.

As for the proposed direct cross-Straits charter flights from Shanghai to Taipei during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays, the spokesman suggested that the mainland may approve Taipei's model for indirect charter flights.

Taiwan has said the charter flights must stop in Hong Kong or Macao before continuing their journey, thereby maintaining the routes' status as "indirect.''

The mainland has held out for a proper direct charter flight with no stopover at a third place.

"Despite our dissatisfaction (with the Taipei model), we are willing to offer active cooperation to push for the implementation of the plan,'' Zhang said.

"If the Taiwan side is sincere, doesn't create trouble, doesn't do anything contrary to the mainland's benefit, I will be happy to see the matter of Spring Festival charter flights resolved.''

(China Daily November 28, 2002)