Top political advisor calls for more understanding on Taiwan

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng said the mainland would give more understanding to the thoughts of the Taiwanese and respect their self-identity.

"We understand the mentality the Taiwanese compatriots have developed in special historical conditions; we respect their identification with the current social system, values and lifestyles; and we know that some friends still harbor misgivings on the development of the cross-Strait relations," Yu said.

Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks in a keynote speech at the sixth Straits Forum, which opens in the coastal city of Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province on Sunday.

As the cross-Strait relations develop, it will surely encounter some deeper problems, he said. The key to solving them is that "we should give more understanding, respect and consideration from the perspective of a family."