BEIJING -- Peaceful reunification will bring greater stability and growth opportunities to the business and investment environment in Taiwan, a mainland spokesman said on Wednesday.

Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press conference that the mainland economy, which grew at an average annual rate of 5.4 percent over the past five years, would rejuvenate Taiwan's economy through its vast market of over 1.4 billion people.

"Peaceful reunification will be an unprecedented opportunity for Taiwan's economic development," he noted.

Chen said that following peaceful reunification, trade across the Taiwan Strait would further expand, and industrial and supply chains on both sides of the Strait would be more deeply integrated.

Resources from the mainland will facilitate upgrades of both traditional and emerging industries on the island, while individuals will also gain more employment and entrepreneurial opportunities via smoother cross-Strait exchanges, he added.