Since the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese mainland took a series of measures to promote the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, and its unremitting efforts finally made breakthroughs, with the cross-Strait relations making historic progresses and winning a new situation, the spokesman of Taiwan Affairs Office Yang Yi said at a regular news conference on Nov. 1.

Yang summarized these important initiatives as follows:

First, it resolutely opposed and contained the separatist activity for "independence of Taiwan," crashed Chen Shuibian authority's plot of realizing the independence of Taiwan in legal principle by means of "constitutional reform" and "holding referendum on joining the United Nations" and maintained national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Second, it comprehensively and systematically presented important ideas and policies for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, enriched the major policies related to Taiwan and established guidelines to promote Taiwan-related work under the new situation.

Third, it increased political mutual trust between the Kuomintang and Communist Party of China on the basis of opposing the independence of Taiwan and adhering to the "1992 Consensus" and enhanced positive interaction of both sides of crossing Taiwan Strait, maintaining the right direction and good momentum on the development of cross-Strait relations.

Fourth, it pushed cross-Strait negotiations forward following the principle of gradual improvement, successively signing 18 agreements, which enhanced the well-being of the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and promoted the institutionalization of cross-Strait exchanges.

Fifth, it promoted the realization of the long awaited comprehensive, direct and both-way "opening of postal, aviation and navigational services and commercial interflow", and fully implemented the framework agreement for cross-Strait economic cooperation, expanding cross-Strait investment and trade, deepening cross-Strait industrial and financial cooperation and driving Fujian province to speed up the construction of Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone and Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone.

Sixth, it enlarged the cross-Strait cultural and educational exchanges, strengthened common recognition of compatriots of Taiwan and mainland on Chinese culture and Chinese nation and strengthened the spiritual bond.

Seventh, it founded the Straits Forum, supported the exchanges of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with Taiwan especially grassroots exchanges, and encouraged mainland residents to travel to Taiwan, thus forming an all-round, wide-ranging and multi-level pattern of exchanges.

Eighth, it introduced a series of policies beneficial to the people of Taiwan and brought tangible benefits for them, meanwhile helping solving the difficulties encountered by Taiwan compatriots living on the mainland as well as Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland.