Cross-Straits offices deemed 'essential'

The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday said it is "very essential" for the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to open offices on each other's side.

Fan Liqing, spokeswoman of the Taiwan affairs office, yesterday confirmed that ARATS has recently proposed setting up the offices.

"The anticipated offices will help handle issues during cross-Straits exchanges and properly safeguard legitimate rights and interests of the people on the mainland and Taiwan," Fan said.