BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- China's mainland will take a couple of measures to simplify procedures on commuting across the Taiwan Strait for both Taiwanese and mainland people.     Han Yusheng with the Ministry of Public Security made the announcement here Wednesday at a press conference held by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.     According to the new measures, not only Taiwanese people investing, working or studying on the mainland but also mainland residents' spouses from Taiwan, people over 70 years old and kids under the age of 16 can apply for long-term residence on the mainland or visa convenience for commuting across the Strait.     The new measures will authorize the Fujian Provincial Public Security Bureau to issue travel documents valid for five years forTaiwanese commuters, and public security departments in Fuzhou andXiamen can handle travel applications from Taiwanese people, notedHan.     The new measures will also provide easy access for those Taiwanese commuters who need not stay long on the mainland, Han said.

    BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Chen Shui-bian's recent statement that Taiwan business people would be allowed to return to the island via the Xiamen-Jinmen air route was made out of a "well known motive", said a government spokesman here Wednesday at a press conference.

    Zhang Mingqing, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remark in response to Chen's recent promise to allow Taiwan businessmen in all parts of the mainland to return to the island through the Jinmen-Xiamen air route.

    Chen asserted that the residents of the island and Penhu Lieh Tao who hold "passports" are allowed to go to mainland, which in fact is a practice of "one country on each side", another version of "Taiwan independence", Zhang said.

    The mainland has long been making efforts to promote "three direct links" across the Taiwan Strait and Chen's intentional delay is against Taiwan businessmen's long-time request for free travel across the strait, said Zhang.

    "The realization of the 'three direct links' is to break new ground for cross-straits economic cooperation and bring greater benefits to the compatriots on both sides, and any policy blockingsuch exchanges and cooperation will finally harm Taiwan people, aswell as its economic competitiveness," said Zhang.