Premier Wen calls for closer cross-Straits co-op

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday visited Xiamen, a southeastern port city which faces Taiwan across the sea, urging cooperation for a win-win result for the mainland and Taiwan.

ChinesePremierWenJiabao(C)visitsXiamenOverseas
ChineseElectronicCo.,Ltd.inXiamen,acoastalcity
insoutheastChina'sFujianProvince,May8,2009.
PremierWenJiabaomadeaninspectiontourinXiamen
onMay8.(Xinhua/LiXueren)

With more than 3,300 Taiwan-invested companies, Xiamen, in Fujian Province, is a frontier platform for cross-Straits exchanges.

While touring Chenhong Technology Company, Wen was pleased to learn the Taiwan-invested high-tech company registered a strong growth last year despite the global financial crisis.

He said the current peaceful development of cross-Strait ties had benefited both sides.

"Recently, we have initiated new policies and measures to support the development of an economic zone on the western side of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan-invested companies will have more development opportunities," Wen said.

Premier Wen urges strengthened cross-Straits cooperation

Premier Wen Jiabao is urging cooperation to create mutual benefits for the mainland and Taiwan. The Premier on Friday visited Xiamen, a port city directly across the strait from Taiwan.

ChinesePremierWenJiabao(C)visitsXiamenOverseas
ChineseElectronicCo.,Ltd.inXiamen,acoastalcity
insoutheastChina'sFujianProvince,May8,2009.
PremierWenJiabaomadeaninspectiontourinXiamen
onMay8.(Xinhua/LiXueren)

His trip came after the State Council recently passed a plan to accelerate development of the economic zone on the west of the Taiwan Straits.

With more than 33-hundred Taiwan-invested companies, Xiamen, is a frontier platform for cross-strait exchanges.

While touring Chenghong Technology Company, Wen Jiabao was pleased to learn the Taiwan-invested high-tech company registered a strong growth last year despite the global financial crisis.

He said the current peaceful development of cross-strait ties are benefiting both sides.

Wen Jiabao, Chinese Premier, said, "What I need to emphasize is that your company has seized an big opportunity which is the peaceful development of cross-strait ties. Recently, we have initiated new policies and measures to support the development of an economic zone on the western side of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan-invested companies will have more development opportunities."

6th Hubei Wuhan-Taiwan Week held in Wuhan

The sixth "Hubei Wuhan-Taiwan Week" has been held in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province.

At the opening ceremony, Wang Yi, the director of State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office said 2009 will witness the all-around development of cross-strait.

WangYisaidaslongasthetwosidesjoinhands
togethertosupporteachother,theycannotonly
rideoutthecurrentfinancialcrisis,butcould
alsograspnewopportunities. (CCTV.com)

Wang Yi said as long as the two sides join hands together to support each other, they can not only ride out the current financial crisis, but could also grasp new opportunities.

Taiwan has proposed a bilateral economic cooperation framework agreement. Wang Yi says this is in line with the two sides' economic features, and will surely bring more profit for the people.

Nearly two thousand participants from economic and cultural areas attended the ongoing Hubei Wuhan-Taiwan Week. The event is to boost trade ties between the central province and Taiwan.

By the end of last year, 2020 Taiwan companies made a total investment of 5 billion US dollars in Hubei Province. Among them were big names such as Foxconn and leading chip maker, SMIC.

Mainland, Taiwan agree to enhance ties

Special Report:3rd round of cross-strait talk

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The chief negotiators are already looking at new possibilities aimed at enhancing ties between the mainland and Taiwan.

Themainland-basedAssociationforRelationsAcrossthe
TaiwanStraits(ARATS)PresidentChenYunlin(R,Front)and
theTaiwan-basedStraitsExchangeFoundation(SEF)Chairman
ChiangPin-kung(L,Front)signagreementsatasigning
ceremony"inNanjing,eastChina'sJiangsuProvince,on
April26,2009.

Another milestone in relations across the Taiwan Straits. Whenever Chen Yunlin meets Chiang Pin-kung, people on the mainland and Taiwan expect new impetus for economic development and also for their personal benefit. Amid the global financial crisis, the chief mainland negotiator called on both sides to join hands to overcome the current difficulties and create a win-win situation.

The mainland announced that it would promote companies to invest in Taiwan as soon as the island authorities allow such investment. And the mainland will also increase its purchase of Taiwan products, as well as encourage more Taiwan investment in the mainland.

The mainland also acknowledged that both sides need to achieve a more institutionalized mechanism or framework for their economic cooperation. Representatives agree that their new agreements and consensus will improve the environment for investment on both sides. They add that the developments would also enhance more contacts between individuals and protect their rights, aswell as laying a solid foundation to improve the peaceful development of ties.

Taiwan chief negotiator agrees to stay in position

TAIPEI, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan chief negotiator Chiang Pin-kung, who had tendered his resignation as chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) earlier, on Friday agreed to stay on.

Chiang told a press conference here he was willing to stay and finish the ongoing work.

He said when he met Chen Yunlin, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits(ARATS) in Nanjing last month, he had invited him to Taiwan for a new round of talks, and he would keep the promise.

Chiang, who will turn 77 this December, told the media on Wednesday that he decided to resign because of his "age" and "physical strength".

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou, however, said he wouldn't endorse the decision and had returned Chiang's written resignation.

Ma paid a visit to Chiang and SEF members Friday afternoon, praised their work and persuaded Chiang to stay on.

Chiang said he would act in the general interest and make the right decision.

Chiang was appointed chairman of the Taiwan-based SEF, a non-governmental organization authorized to handle cross-straits affairs, after Ma became the leader of Taiwan in May 2008.

Chiang and Chen had held three talks since June 2008, leading to the signing of the historic agreements allowing direct flights, shipping and postal services across the straits, and opening the island to mainland tourists.

In the latest round of talks between the SEF and the ARATS held in Nanjing of eastern Jiangsu Province in late April, the two sides also agreed to cooperate in finance and justice.

Ministry to impose anti-dumping measures on BDO imports from Taiwan, Saudi Arabia

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland will start from Wednesday imposing temporary anti-dumping measures on 1,4-butanediol (BDO) imported from Taiwan and Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.

In a statement on its website, the ministry said Taiwan and Saudi Arabia had dumped BDO products on the Chinese mainland.

The ministry said the temporary measures are a result of the initial ruling of an anti-dumping investigation that began in September last year.

The ministry said Taiwan and Saudi Abrabia's dumping had caused substantial damage to the mainland's BDO industry. Importers will have to pay a deposit when bringing the goods into the country.

The amount of deposit paid by importers at customs would be decided by the extent of the dumping action of different producers in the two regions, said the ministry.

The ministry did not say when, or under what circumstances, these measures would be ended.

BDO is industrially used as a solvent and an ingredient for manufacturing some types of plastics and elastic fibers. It's widely used in the production of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, autos, and paper-making.

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