Top political adviser looks beyond setbacks to 'peaceful development'

China's top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng has stressed the mainland's commitment to promoting people-to-people exchanges as well as economic and social development across the Taiwan Straits despite setbacks during the past year.

"The peaceful development of cross-Straits relations is facing new risks and challenges after being severely undermined last year. However, the communications between the two sides have reached a new historical level," said Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Ninth Straits Forum held in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sunday.