Beijing expected to keep same policy towards Taipei

Beijing said its policy toward Taipei would not change any time soon, despite outgoing general secretary Hu Jintao's call for "cross-strait political relations" in his report to the party congress last week.

Ye Kedong, deputy director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, told Taiwanese media that Beijing would for the next five to 10 years stick to its policy of seeking economic and cultural exchanges while setting aside stickier matters.

Ye said the Communist Party's commitment to a peaceful development of cross-strait ties would not change, even after Hu hands control of the party to Vice-President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

"We will continue to stick to the set path of tackling the easily resolved issues before the difficult ones in dealing with cross-strait relations," Ye was quoted as by Taiwanese media as saying on Monday night.

The message appeared aimed at easing anxiety on Taiwan, as Ye told the reporters that mainland leaders had taken note of reaction by Taiwan commentators and experts to Hu's report on cross-strait relations at the opening of the party's 18th congress.

In it, Hu called for Beijing and Taipei to explore cross-strait political relations and make reasonable arrangements for them under the special condition that the two sides are yet to be reunified.