Cooperation between financial sectors across the Taiwan Strait is progressing well, with banks setting up branches and offices on each other's side.

The assessment comes from Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. She also says individual tours in Taiwan for mainland tourists will be start when conditions permit.

Four Taiwan banks are preparing to set up branches in mainland. They will not open until the administrative institutions check and approve.

At the same time, two mainland banks, the Bank of China and Bank of Communications, have been permitted to set up offices in Taiwan.

To date, the Mainland's investment in Taiwan has amounted to 133 million US dollars.

Fan Liqing, spoeswoman of Taiwan Affairs Office, State Council,said, "Mainland companies investing in Taiwan is just a start. The Taiwan Affairs Office will encourage the trend with all kinds of measures. And we hope Taiwan can provide a good environment for them to invest and operate."

On individual tours by mainland tourists in Taiwan,Fan said the experiments will be implemented in selected places to see if individual tours in Taiwan are feasible.

Fan Liqing said, "It is a good gesture to boost grass-root exchanges across the strait to push forward individual tours. We hope both sides will try to create suitable conditions. When conditions permit, we will choose some cities and areas to start such tours on a trial basis."

Fan Liqing also says she hopes Taiwan tourism sectors can maintain and improve the quality of the service, to make tourists feel at home.