Trade talks with Taiwan to continue

Mainland authorities have not halted trade negotiations with Taiwan after a service trade pact was blocked by the island's legislators, a mainland spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said administrative authorities and relevant industries across the Straits have maintained communications and exchanges over possible trade-in-goods agreements and a mechanism for dispute resolution.

She made the remarks at a regular news conference in response to a media report that the mainland had suspended dialogue with Taiwan on such issues.