BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), mainland's largest offshore explorer, signed four cooperation agreements with Taiwan's CPC Corp Friday.

    The four cooperation agreements were signed by CNOOC's Chairman and CEO Fu Chengyu and CPC's Chairman Wenent Pan, who was visiting Beijing.

    The agreements included a letter of intent for closer cooperation, a revised contract on joint exploration in the Tainan Basin of the Taiwan Strait and the Chaozhou Shantou Basin off mainland's Guangdong coast, joint study on the Wuqiuyu Basin off mainland Fujian coast, and transfer of a 30 percent stake of CNOOC's onshore Block 9 in Kenya to CPC.

    Fu Chengyu said CNOOC has established good cooperation with CPC Corp. in 1994 when the two companies started cooperation.

    CPC Corp., based in Taipei, is a fully integrated oil and gas company with about 15,000 employees.

Mainland, Taiwan hold economic, cultural forum

The 4th Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum between the Chinese mainland and southeast China's Taiwan begins in Shanghai, east China, Dec. 20, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    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. Full story

Chinese mainland, Taiwan start direct links after 59 years

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>>>

    BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services on Monday amid warming ties, ending a 59-year ban on such links.

    Formerly, air and sea movements -- including mail -- had to go by way of a third place.

    The direct daily transport started as a mainland-based Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taipei at 7:20 a.m.(2320 GMT Sunday), which was followed by a Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways jetliner from Taipei to Shanghai. Full story

Chinese mainland, Taiwan start direct postal service

    TAIPEI, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Wu Min-yu, chairman of the Taiwan-based Chunghwa Post Co. Ltd., sent out a letter to Liu Andong, president of the Chinese mainland's China Post Corporation, on 9:17 a.m. (1:17 GMT), marking the start of direct postal service between the two sides.   Full story