BEIJING, Feb. 17 -- The Chinese mainland remains positive and open about a possible meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, a mainland spokeswoman said on Monday.

Compatriots from both sides hope to see such a meeting at an early date to boost peaceful development of cross-Strait ties and benefit the Chinese nation and people from both sides, said Fan Liqing of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office at a press conference.

Fan was responding to a question about the timing of a possible meeting between Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the ruling Kuomintang.

The reporter asked that if the mainland did not want the two leaders to meet at the informal economic leaders' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) (this year in Beijing), what kind of occasion would be appropriate for the meeting.

Fan suggested that the APEC leaders' meeting has its own rules and issues should be handled in accordance with relevant memorandum of understanding.