Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press conference on Friday that Taiwan authorities' attack on the mainland showed disrespect for Wang Daohan, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits(ARATS) and Koo Chen-fu, chairman of Taiwan-based Strait Exchange Foundation(SEF).

Chen Shui-bian, leader of Taiwan authorities, said recently it was a"representation of politicalization" that the mainland refused to allow representatives of the SEF to attend Wang's funeral, and"people should not place hope on such kind of cross-Straits relations."

Commenting on Chen's remarks, Li said that Wang had sent personal representatives to Taiwan to attend the funeral of Koo, who died at the beginning of 2005. The act was in accordance with the will of Koo's relatives and based on the friendship between Wang and Koo.

The personal representatives of Wang were also acquaintances of Koo before his death, and the act did not involve cross-Straits relations, said Li.

After Wang died on Dec. 24, ARATS informed SEF about the news, and SEF sent a telegram of condolences. ARATS and relatives of Wang expressed thanks to SEF many times, said Li.

He said that personnel from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao had expressed their wishes to attend Wang's funeral in Shanghai. But in accordance with the will of Wang, his funeral was kept simple and not all the organizations and representatives were invited to attend the funeral.

ARATS had conveyed the will of Wang's relatives to SEF, and SEF expressed their respect to the will. During the whole process, no others from SEF except its president expressed the wish to attend the funeral, Li said. Enditem