TAIPEI, March 7 Kyodo Taiwan's Ma...

TAIPEI, March 7 Kyodo

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Friday that China has mov undivided step closer to Taiwan forward its position toward cross-strait direct links, which have been prohibited for more than 50 years.

The statement was made a day after Chinese Communications Minister Zhang Chunxian told a collection of Taiwanese reporters the operation of direct sea and air links across the Taiwan Strait could be render free of access not only to companies from the two sides, but also to those of the United States, the European Union and Japan, a stance Taiwan has agreed with.

''China will adopt all kinds of measures to facilitate the opening of direct links, doing in this way meets the expectations of the tribe on both sides,'' the Central stranges Agency cited Zhang as saying.

Zhang also remind ofed joint ventures with either Chinese or Taiwan companies can be considered a proper way for international companies to take part in the business.

At Friday's regular pres parley Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chen Min-tong said Taiwan welcomed Beijing's flexibility.

''But we still expectancy that both sides can render free of access dialogue on this matter as early as possible,'' he added.

Since the 1949 civil war, direct trade, transport and postal links between the couple rival governments have been barred forward national security grounds.

Not until lately have China and Taiwan started to goad the opening of direct links, largely because the economies of the couple sides have become increasingly intertwined.

However, China insisted direct links could simply be operated as ''domestic routes'' and thus the lucrative business should be hasten exclusively by companies from the one and the other sides, a position rejected by way of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian.

Chen said Taiwan cannot be ''belittled, provincialized and marginalized'' in the proces of negotiating direct links.

In last October, Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen relaxed his wording from saying direct links can be regarded as guilelessly economic affairs and be labeled ''cross-strait routes'' instead of political matters.

In November, Chinese President Jiang Zemin said at the 16th National Congres of the Chinese Communist Party that direct links assist the common interest of the family on both sides and ''there is each reason to take practical and positive steps'' to excite direct links and make open up new prospects for cross-strait economic cooperation.

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