BEIJING - Negotiations on a cross-Straits investment protection agreement have gone smoothly and consensus has been reached on most issues, said a Chinese mainland official on Wednesday.

Negotiators from both the mainland and Taiwan should accelerate the process so that the agreement can be signed during the seventh meeting of the heads of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), said Fan Liqing, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

"Safeguarding the rights and interests of Taiwan businesspeople is our duty, and we have treated the issue seriously and actively dealt with relevant problems," Fan said.

Negotiations on a cross-Straits investment protection agreement are conducive to strengthening the protection of the rights and interests of Taiwan businesspeople and promoting cross-Straits economic cooperation, she said.

During the negotiation process, the mainland side has "released as much goodwill as possible", considering the special situation across the Strait and the needs of the island's businesspeople, she said.

Fan said the specific date for the seventh ARATS-SEF meeting will be set by the two organizations, which are authorized by the two sides to handle cross-Straits issues, and she hopes that it will be held soon.