BEIJING -- Chinese mainland authorities on Wednesday urged the expansion of political trust across the Taiwan Strait and reiterated the need to acknowledge the one-China policy.

In response to Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou's recent use of the phrase "one country, two areas" to describe cross-Strait relations, Yang Yi, a spokesman from the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the mainland was not surprised to hear Ma's statement, as it was consistent with his previous policies.

The territorial integrity and sovereignty of China have not been affected by relations across the Taiwan Strait in recent decades, Yang said at a regular press conference.

The fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of one China has never changed and the relations held between both sides are not the same as those held between sovereign nations, Yang said.

"We consider any statements, ideas or policies that adhere to this fact to be positive and conducive to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations," Yang said.

Political differences between the mainland and Taiwan are widely known and the mainland has always suggested shelving them while discussing matters of common interest, he said.

"We should accumulate common understanding and create conditions for settling these difference through future political dialogue," he said.

The peaceful development of cross-Strait ties will benefit people on both sides, he said.

"We hope both sides will work to further political trust, improve exchanges and continue consultations," he said.

When asked to comment on Ma's suggestion that both sides could take inspiration from the reunification of Germany, Yang said the situation between the mainland and Taiwan is different, adding that both sides should work to find a realistic solution that is in line with the interests of all Chinese.