BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) is still making preparation for its upcoming Taiwan visit despite the recent mob attack on a Chinese scholar, according to ARATS chief Chen Yunlin here on Wednesday.

    He made the remark as he greeted Zhang Mingqing, dean of Xiamen University's Journalism School, at a Beijing airport on Wednesday afternoon together with Sun Yafu, vice director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.

    Zhang, who was visiting the island at the invitation of the Taiwan National University of the Arts, was assaulted by a mob on Tuesday, and canceled the rest of his trip to fly back to the mainland.

    Chen said both the Taiwan authorities and the island's public strongly condemned the violent attack on Zhang.

    "It shows that such an assault, which aimed to undermine mainland-Taiwan relations, is not popular among the Taiwan people."

    He expressed his gratitude to the Taiwan public and to Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), for their help and concern toward Zhang.

    Chen said the peaceful development of mainland-Taiwan relations was in accordance with the interest and the common aspiration of people across the Taiwan Strait, and both sides should cherish the currently warming cross-Strait ties.

    The mainland would continue to push forward cross-Strait exchanges and talks between ARATS and SEF, to further improve mainland-Taiwan relations, he said.

    The ARATS delegation would continue to make preparations for its Taiwan visit, Chen said, adding cross-Strait ties would break new ground with the joint efforts made by the people on both sides of the Strait.

    Zhang, who is also the ARATS deputy chief, said at the Beijing airport that many Taiwan people had expressed their concern toward him through mail and phone calls after his assault.

    He said he was greeted by Taiwan people apologizing for the violent attack all the way from his hotel to the airport in Taiwanon Wednesday morning.

    Zhang said the assault was staged by only a few people who didn't represent the majority of the Taiwan compatriots.

    He expressed his gratitude to people across the Taiwan Strait for their concern, and vowed to engage in cross-Strait exchanges more actively in the future to further boost mainland-Taiwan relations.