Senior Chinese Official Meets Taiwanese DelegationShi Guangsheng, minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, met in Beijing Tuesday with a trade delegation from the Taiwan Industrial Association, encouraging them to play a bigger role in promoting economic exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits and improving cross-strait relations.Shi welcomed the visiting Taiwanese businesspeople and explained the foreign trade situation in the Chinese mainland and the progress made in joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying that this matter has entered its final stage. China's entry into the WTO will be beneficial to the development of the country's reform and opening to the outside, as well as the growth of trade relations across the Taiwan Straits, Shi added. He further noted that admission to the WTO will also help promote direct links of mail, trade and transport across the Taiwan Straits and provide more development opportunities for Taiwanese businessmen. At the meeting, Shi answered visitors' questions about investment in the Chinese mainland, saying that Taiwanese businesspeople are encouraged to invest and conduct trade in the mainland and their legal interests are protected by law. The delegation arrived in the Chinese mainland on June 25 for an inspection tour. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |