Officials from Taiwan's opposition are welcome to visit the Chinese mainland, an official said Wednesday.

"We welcome more Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members to visit and learn more about the mainland," said Yang Yi, a spokesman with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

"As long as the DPP changes its secessionist stance, we would make a positive response," he added.

His remarks came after senior DPP figure Chen Chu, who is also mayor of Taiwan's port city Kaohsiung, visited the mainland last week. She is the highest-ranking official from the pro-independence party to visit the mainland in recent years.

Zhang Guanhua, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' institute of Taiwan studies, said Chen's visit was a "landmark".

It showed some members of the party are thinking about adjusting their mainland policy, Zhang suggested, adding that it mirrors the mood of the public.

The DPP understands that as more people support cross-Straits exchanges and as more benefits are realized through warmer cross-Straits ties, refusing talks and communication could not help them win people's support, nor the election, Zhang said.

A survey by Taiwan-based United Daily News on Sunday showed nearly half of 968 people interviewed on the island think the DPP should "loose its mainland policy". More than half thought DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen should visit the mainland. But Zhang said inter-party communication between the DPP and the Communist Party of China is not currently possible because the DPP has not given up "Taiwan independence" in the party platform.

Yang said Chen made it clear that her visit to the mainland was to promote the World Games that will be held in Kaohsiung in July and would not involve political issues.

"Both sides across the Straits have reached an understanding that we should put aside disputes, so as to smooth interactions," Yang said.

Purchasing power

The mainland will send seven to nine purchasing groups to Taiwan between May and September, helping develop the island economy during the global financial crisis, Yang said.

A group put together by organizations of the textile, home appliance and mineral industries will visit Taiwan on May 31, Yang said. The China Video Industry Association will organize a visit of leading mainland TV producers on June 1 with planned procurement of about $2.2 billion.

Also in June, tea merchants and fruit organizations will visit central and south Taiwan to inspect agricultural produce markets and discuss cooperation with local enterprises.

In September, the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives will send representatives from 11 provinces and cities, six industry associations and 13 agricultural products manufacturers to the island.

"We want to further promote cross-Straits economic cooperation in order to curb the negative influence of the economic downturn," Yang said.

Although the mainland economy has been affected by the downturn as well, we will continue to do what we can to help Taiwan alleviate the damage caused by the crisis."

Tourist released

Mainland tourist Ma Zhongfei was released Wednesday, two days after he was arrested and accused of taking photos at a military compound in Taiwan, media reports said.

Yang said the mainland learned of the incident from the media before starting to get related information from Taiwan on Tuesday. He also said the mainland expressed concern about the case and said it would follow it closely.

Ma said he was a businessman and entered the compound by accident.

(China Daily May 28, 2009)