Taiwan affairs chief trusts people to make "right choice"

The Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief Zhang Zhijun said Tuesday he believed the people across the Taiwan Strait will make right choice on the cross-Strait relations.

Zhang made the remarks while meeting Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Lin Join-sane in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

Zhang, director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said whether the cross-Strait relations make headway or go backwards poses a test of the resolution and wisdom of Taiwanese and mainlanders.

"I have faith that people of both sides who have experienced the different situations before and after 2008 will make the right choice," he said.

The cross-Strait relations have warmed since 2008 when a new generation of KMT leaders assumed power in Taiwan and promised to uphold the one-China 1992 Consensus and oppose Taiwan independence.

Since then, the two sides have opened direct mail, transport and trade links and signed a number of deals to boost tourism, trade and cooperation in various fields.

There are concerns as the island prepares for its leadership election next January, when KMT candidate Hung Hsiu-chu will compete with Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party.

While giving a speech to mark the opening of "Taiwan Week" in Wuhan, Zhang said turning back the cross-Strait relations or separatist sabotage shall not be allowed.

He called for more opportunities for businesses on both sides and encouraging small companies and young people from Taiwan to join the mass entrepreneurship tidal wave on the mainland. Endi