Fujian Province will speed up the building of a "pilot region"
for cross-Straits communication and cooperation between the
mainland and Taiwan, governor Huang Xiaojing said in the first
annual session of the 11th Fujian people's congress held on
Friday.
The province's geographical advantages will help it spearhead
the development of economic and cultural exchange with Taiwan,
Huang said.
At the same time, growing ties between the two sides have reaped
fruits, he added. Last year, Fujian's utilized capital from Taiwan
grew up to $3.47 billion and the volume of trade between the two
doubled.
More than 778,000 passengers traveled between the mainland and
Taiwan via direct routes from Fujian in that time, up from 61,000
in 2002.
"The next five years will be a crucial period for us to develop
the economic zone on the western part of the Taiwan Straits," Huang
said. The country included the development of the economic zone,
aimed at attracting businesses from Taiwan, in the 11th Five-Year
Plan (2006-2010).
Huang said Fujian hopes to deepen its cooperation with the
island in the hi-tech, financial and logistics industries.
Cultural and historical bonds will be another vital part. The
province will boost cultural exchange and attract more people from
Taiwan to visit relatives or pay tribute to their ancestors.
Preferential policies will also be handed out to Taiwan farmers
by implementing a tariff-free policy for agricultural products
imported from Taiwan. The province will also upgrade its
transportation facilities and improve customs services as part of
efforts to become the main cross-Straits transportation hub, he
said.
(China Daily January 21, 2008)