Source: CCTV.com
04-28-2007 14:35
Special Report: 3rd Cross-Strait Forum
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Besides closer air-links, trade ties are also a hot topic at the Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Cultural forum. After lifting half-a-century of trade blocks between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, cooperation has surged in the past few years.
Cross-straits trade cooperation mainly focuses on agriculture, which started in the 1980s, but there have been few exchanges.
From 1997, the Chinese mainland began to set up cross-straits agricultural cooperation pilot zones. Of the present 5 pilot zones, eastern Fujian Province has so far attracted 1.9 billion US dollars in investment from Taiwan agricultural firms.
2005 witnessed a turning point for the cooperation between agriculture industries of the mainland and Taiwan. After the ground-breaking trip by Taiwan political leaders, the mainland gave access to 18 species of Taiwan tropical fruits, and offered zero-tariff privileges to 15 of them. In 2005, the mainland bought Taiwan fruit worth over 3.2 million US dollars.
The mainland market opened wider to Taiwan farmers last April. At the Second Cross-Straits Economic and Trade Forum, 4 more kinds of Taiwan fruit, 11 vegetables and several aquatic products were given access to the mainland market. Setting up a development zone in the north of the Chinese mainland for Taiwan farmers reflects the mainland's support for long-term cooperation.
However, there are still lots of trade barriers between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Over 2,000 kinds of products are deprived access by the Taiwan authority to the mainland. 800 kinds of agricultural products of the mainland can not be sold to Taiwan.
But nothing can stop business. Different harvest seasons lead to complementary cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan. When it is winter in the mainland, Taiwan enters its harvest season. And when Taiwan suffers from typhoons and runs short of fruits and vegetables, the mainland can meet its needs. What's more, Taiwan has exotic varieties and advanced technologies, while the mainland has vast rural land and supplies of labor. A common market with all these advantages spells a fruitful future for all businesses across the straits.
Editor:Chen Ge
