SHANGHAI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan have proposed improving economic and financial cooperation to jointly cope with the worsening global financial crisis.

Jia Qinglin (2nd L), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, shakes hands with Kuomintang Honorary Chairman Lien Chan (1st L) while Kuomintang Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (3rd L) looks on, during the 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum between the Chinese mainland and southeast China's Taiwan, in Shanghai, east China, Dec. 20, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Ming) Photo Gallery>>>

    The 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum was concluded here Sunday afternoon, where participants after two days of discussion came up with a nine-point suggestion for the two sides to mutually support each other and weather the economic downturn.

    The forum advised the mainland and Taiwan to give each other financial and economic support, and start consultations as soon as possible on building regulatory cooperation mechanisms for the banking, securities and insurance sectors.

    The two sides were also urged to participate in each other's increasing domestic demand and infrastructure construction, improve cooperation in service and fishery sectors, improve cross-Straits direct sea and air transport, and realize the normalization of cross-Straits economic ties and establish economic cooperation mechanism.

    Also at the forum, the mainland announced 10 measures for enhancing economic cooperation with the island, including giving support to the development of Taiwanese-funded companies on the mainland and promoting two-way investment.

    For example, as support to Taiwanese-funded enterprises which have been feeling the pinch from the global crisis, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the Bank of China will offer 50 billion yuan (7.3 billion U.S. dollars) each to finance them in two to three years. The China Development Bank will offer another 30 billion yuan to them in three years in addition to its previous30 billion yuan.

    At the closing ceremony of the event, Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, said the suggestions would exert a positive influence on the decision-making of relevant authorities, and the 10 measures demonstrated the mainland's sincere efforts to benefit the Taiwan compatriots.

    Jia, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, expressed the hope that the two sides would work together to further improve cross-Straits industrial cooperation and their cooperation in finance and service sectors so that the consultations could make substantial progress.

    "The future of the cross-Straits ties is in the hands of the compatriots on both sides," he said, urging them to make concerted efforts to expand exchanges and cooperation and bring peaceful development to the relations.

    Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung also said the two sides should shelve differences and promote cooperation, and urged the KMT-CPC platform to actively play its role to "make up for the time lost in the past."

    He suggested the forum be held at least once a year and be more inclusive to seek greater common ground for the peace and development of the cross-Straits ties.

    Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, said the aim of the forum was to gather opinions, seek consensus and provide reference for decision-making on both sides.

    All topics that serve the needs of cross-Straits relations and benefit the peaceful development of the relations should be included in future forums, he said.

Chinese mainland announces ten measures for co-op with Taiwan

    SHANGHAI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese mainland announced here on Sunday its ten policies and measures for economic cooperation with Taiwan aimed at joint responding to the global financial crisis.

    The measures include the support for the development of Taiwanese-funded companies in the mainland, promotion of two-way investment and so on, said Wang Yi, Taiwan affairs chief of the Chinese mainland at the conclusion of the 4th Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum.

Mainland, Taiwan advised to beef up finance regulatory cooperation


    SHANGHAI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Sunday were urged to start consultations as soon as possible on building a finance regulatory cooperation mechanism to cope with the global financial crisis.

    Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Tseng Yung-chuan announced a nine-point suggestion jointly proposed by participants to the 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum at its closing ceremony.


Mainland, Taiwan steel sectors urged to boost co-op amid financial crisis

    SHANGHAI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Steel firms from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan were urged on Sunday to beef up their cooperation to cope with the global financial crisis.

    Xu Lejiang, chairman of the mainland's Baosteel Group Co., said steel was one of the worst-hit sectors by the global economic recession, and companies from across the Taiwan Straits should have effective cooperation in raw material, market, technology and products for joint development.

Mainland, Taiwan hold economic, cultural forum 

   SHANGHAI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan began here Saturday morning.

    Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, and Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and Honorary Chairman Lien Chan attended.

Senior CPC leader: mainland willing to help Taiwan tackle financial crisis 

    SHANGHAI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The mainland is willing to help Taiwan in face of current global financial crisis, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader said here on Saturday.

    "If the worsening world economic situation continues and the Taiwan side asks for help to solve economic difficulties, the mainland is willing to offer assistance with utmost efforts," Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, said at the 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum.

Top political advisor meets KMT chairman, honorary chairman

Jia Qinglin (L), member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Political Bureau and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with Chairman of Chinese Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party Wu Poh-hsiung in Shanghai, east China, on Dec. 19, 2008. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Photo Gallery>>>

    SHANGHAI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin met with visiting Kuomintang (KMT) chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and honorary chairman Lien Chan respectively here Friday.

    Wu and Lien were here to attend the 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum, scheduled for December 20 to 21.

Taiwan party representatives arrive in Shanghai for cross-Strait forum 

    SHANGHAI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Wu Poh-hsiung, Chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party, along with Honorary Chairman Lien Chan arrived in Shanghai Friday to attend a two-day cross-Straits economic and cultural forum.

    Wu and Lien were received by Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Full story

Chinese mainland, Taiwan start direct transport services 

    BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air, sea transport and postal services on Monday morning, the latest step to further improve the once strained ties.

    The move marks an end to the practice that air and sea transport as well as mail between the mainland and Taiwan had to go through a third place. Full story

Passengers from southeast China's Taiwan gesture before boarding the plane at the airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 15, 2008. A Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taiwan at 7:20 Beijing Time (2320 GMT Dec. 14), the first when the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Mainland-bound direct flight takes off from Taipei

     TAIPEI, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A passenger plane of Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways took off from Taipei Songshan Airport for Shanghai at 8:06 a.m. on Monday, starting the direct air transport from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland.  Full story

Jia Qinglin (C), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, shakes hands with Kuomintang Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung during the 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum between the Chinese mainland and southeast China's Taiwan, in Shanghai, east China, Dec. 20, 2008. (Xinhua/Pei Xin) Photo Gallery>>>