TVBS:

How are cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation and exchanges going now? The economies of the mainland and Taiwan are highly complementary. What's your take on this? What are the characteristics of cross-Strait economic exchange? Thank you.

Ma Xiaoguang:

Over the past decade, we have been working to expand cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation, which has delivered fruitful results. The characteristics can be summarized as follows.

First, the trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan doubled in the past 10 years. Taiwan's trade dependence on the mainland remains high.

Second, investment on the mainland from Taiwan businesses is gaining momentum with positive changes. Investments have focused more on major projects and high-tech projects.

Third, the integrated development of economies across the Strait have delivered more substantial and concrete outcomes. Since 2018, we have unveiled 31 measures and 26 measures to enhance cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. We have released 11 measures and 22 measures on agriculture and forestry to support the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises. We have also rolled out policies to encourage more Taiwan residents to register as self-employed individuals on the mainland. These efforts have helped Taiwan compatriots and businesses enjoy greater development opportunities and equal treatment on the mainland. We have encouraged Taiwan compatriots and businesses to take part in the Belt and Road Initiative, the country's major regional strategies, and strategies for regional coordinated development. We have supported Fujian province in exploring new approaches for integrated development across the Strait. Other provinces and cities where Taiwan businesses are clustered have also been encouraged to pilot preferential policies for them. We have guided enterprises across the Strait to strengthen cooperation in terms of funds, technology, management, standards, brands, and channels. We have helped Taiwan businesses to expand the domestic market on the mainland. Thousands of Taiwan enterprises in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and other provinces and cities have enjoyed preferential tax policies of various kinds. Hundreds of Taiwan enterprises have received specialized financial support in terms of industrial transformation and upgrading, green manufacturing, and smart manufacturing. As of June this year, 41 Taiwan-funded financial institutions had received Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) licenses, and 53 Taiwan enterprises had been listed on the mainland.

Fourth, the number of platforms for cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation has increased and they have made notable achievements. The Summit for Entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait has vigorously promoted joint ventures and cooperation between enterprises on both sides of the Strait and has become the most important platform for exchanges and cooperation between entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait. In addition, cross-Strait integrated circuits industry cooperation pilot zones in the cities of Hefei in Anhui province and Xiamen and Quanzhou in Fujian province, as well as a cross-Strait industrial cooperation zone for replacing old growth drivers with new ones in Shandong province, and five cross-Strait industrial cooperation zones in Guangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces have been set up. We have supported Kunshan Pilot Zone for Deepening Cross-strait Industrial Cooperation to carry out pilot tests with Taiwan. As of 2021, there were more than 350 Taiwan-funded projects in the five cross-Strait industrial cooperation zones, with investment totaling over 100 billion yuan. Various regions have continued to hold distinctive Taiwan-related economic and trade activities and promoted the partnering and delivery of high-quality projects. The cross-Strait economic exchanges and cooperation have kept a strong momentum and we have seen more solid achievements. Thank you.

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