BEIJING - The Chinese mainland is ready to expand cooperation and set a stage for the ultimate solution in eliminating disputes between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, a senior official said in Beijing on Wednesday.

Fan Liqing, spokeswoman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular press conference that although shelving differences and seeking common ground have worked to a certain extent in dealing with political issues, political and military disputes are still hard to avoid and it will eventually have to be faced.

When asked whether the Chinese mainland is willing to push for political dialogue with the island in the next four years, Fan said Beijing will keep deepening business cooperation while developing wider communications in other areas, such as culture and education.

"We of course would like to place an eye on the future and create conditions for eliminating political and military disputes," Fan said.

"It means we are ready to sit down for talks on any of these issues," she said. "If the talks cannot be launched due to problems from Taiwan, the two sides had better both cherish and support a stable environment."

She pointed out that the Chinese mainland believes that it is the common wish of people across the Straits to end the cross-Straits hostility and ink a peace deal, which will benefit the interests of people on both sides of the divide.