Between January and July this year, the economic cooperation was intensified, and there were frequent scientific, educational and cultural exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan. Zhangzhou alone has newly approved Taiwan contractual investment of US$ 257 million, including US$ 225 million paid-in capital, up 21 and 54 percent over the same period last year respectively.
Although the two large "Taiwan Trade Fairs" were held one after the other at an interval of less than one month, Taiwan businessmen showed unprecedented enthusiasm for participation. On April 12, the fourth "Xiamen-Taiwan Exports Trade Fair & Electromechanical Products Trade Fair" was opened solemnly, with the participation of over 1500 Taiwan businessmen from 12 industrial and commercial organizations.
"2000 Fuzhou International Investment Invitation Month and Cross-Strait Sci-Tech Achievement Trade Fair" was held from May 28 to June 6. A total of 322 persons from 33 Taiwan business groups attended the fair, most of them came to Fuzhou for the first time. More than a half of the merchants signed contracts here with the contractual investment value hitting US$ 391 million.
An official with the Fujian Taiwan Affairs Office told the journalist that since China introduced the reform and opening program, more than 6,100 Taiwan-funded enterprises have settled in Fujian with investment exceeding US$ 11 billion, US$ 8.1 billion of which has been in place.
There have been animated exchanges of science and education between Fujian and Taiwan since the beginning of the year. On January 15 and 16, a group of 18 experts and scholars from Taiwan Sun Yat-sen University, Political University, Kaohsiong Sci-Tech College, Cultural University, and Kaohsiong Normal University sponsored the "Cross-strait Environmental Protection and Sustaining Development Academic Symposium" jointly with over 70 experts from four universities and more than 10 scientific institutes of the mainland. In early June, experts from the two sides gathered in Fuzhou and held the "Cross-strait Earthquake Prevention and Disaster Reduction Academic Symposium" on the "9?21 Taiwan Earthquake" issue.
There has emerged an upward trend in the cultural exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan. As Fujian Tourism Administration disclosed, the number of Taiwan compatriots visiting Fujian between January and July hit 250,000 person-times, up 10.5 percent over the same period last year. On July 18, more than 2000 Mazu believers came to Putian from Taizhong County for a worship, which became a grand meeting of folk exchanges across the Straits.
(People’s Daily)
