The seventh Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum closed in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, on May 8 with the adoption of 19 proposals for the promotion of cross-Strait cooperation in various fields.

Participants from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan urged authorities of from both sides to seize the opportunities brought about by the mainland's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) and Taiwan's "golden decade" blueprint (2011-2020) to further improve economic cooperation and seek common development and prosperity, according to Xinhua news agency.

They also urged the two sides to actively implement the cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), advancing to gradually realise normalisation and liberalisation of cross-Strait economic ties.

Participants suggested the mainland and Taiwan improve cooperation and exchanges in nuclear power safety, share related information, increase cooperation between professional institutes, and have in-depth exchanges on nuclear power management and safety technology.

Additionally, participants called on the two sides to further push forward cooperation in culture, finance, agriculture, investment, education and youth exchanges.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stressed that the forum again showed the importance of the exchange platform between the two sides.

This year will be crucial for the development of the cross-Strait ties, Jia said, adding that efforts should be made to steer cross-Strait ties in the right direction.

Honorary chairman of the Kuomintang Wu Poh-hsiung stressed the need to expand cooperation to maximise benefits for both sides.

The forum is held regularly with the aims of providing a space for promoting the cross-Strait cooperation and opening a prospect of stable development and mutual benefit./.