TAIPEI, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Taiwan official said Tuesday local authorities will relax restrictions on media coverage by mainland news organizations in the island.

    Chao Chien-min, deputy head of the Mainland Affairs Council, said mainland correspondents posted on the island no longer need to inform Taiwan's information authorities before making interview trips.

    Each mainland media organization would be allowed to increase their staff members from two to five, Chao said, adding those policies took effect immediately.

    In a bid to save expenditures for mainland media organizations, Taiwan authorities allowed mainland journalists to rent residence. Before, they were required to live in hotels.

    Chao made the remarks before taking his trip to the mainland as a board director of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), an organization authorized by the Taiwan authorities to handle cross-Strait relations, local media reported.

    Currently, five mainland media of the central level and two media organizations from coastal Fujian Province have sent their reporters to the island.

    Mainland journalists usually stay in Taiwan for three months and can extend to six months after application. The mainland also allows the maximum six-month stay for Taiwan reporters and they are allowed to rent residence on the mainland.