Xiamen has readied itself for direct trade, transport and postal links - the so-called "three links" - with Taiwan. But the next step depends on how the Taiwanese authorities treat the issue, said Chen Conghui, vice-mayor of the city.
Chen made the remarks Monday at a press conference in Hong Kong on promoting next year's China Xiamen Machinery & Electronics Exhibition (CXMEE), which is a major event on the mainland to promote trade with Taiwan.
Xiamen is a port city in Fujian Province and little more than 4 kilometres from Kinmen, an outlying island of Taiwan.
Its airport has a designed capacity to handle about 12 million passengers per year and is accommodating only 3.5 million people every year, Chen said.
Its port has an annual handling capacity of 1.95 million tons and has handled more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) so far this year, making it the sixth largest on the mainland in this respect.
The city, like the rest of the mainland, has been enhancing the soft aspects of its investment environment, including amending its various rules and regulations, in anticipation of China's entry into the World Trade Organization. The mainland's entry is to be followed by Taiwan's accession to the trade body as a separate customs territory, Chen said.
He said that while the "three links" is the trend, direct links between the mainland ports and three outlying islands - including Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu - may be achieved prior to that.
Shen Danyang, director of the Xiamen Promotion Centre for Trade to Taiwan, also commented on the recent press reports that Taiwanese authorities have given approval to a plan that will open up "mini-three links".
He said he did not seen anything new in the plan which could promote such links in a practical sense. What is more, to achieve those links, a number of details have to be discussed. However, the channel for such discussions are still blocked due to Taipei's refusal to accept the one-China principle, Beijing's precondition for talks.
Xiamen has been the third largest receiver of investment from Taiwan after the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu. Pledged investment from Taiwan has amounted to US$3.745 billion, US$3.4 billion of which has been actually utilized, Chen said.
Trade between the two places is expected to hit US$1.254 billion this year, with exports to Taiwan to hit US$190 million, Shen said. The two figures were US$1 billion and US$140 million respectively last year.
To further promote cross-Straits trade, CXMEE is to be held again in Xiamen from April 12 to 15 next year.
This national-level annual event will be co-organized by China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Machinery & Electronics Products, Taiwan Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers' Association and the municipal government of Xiamen.
All the 400 booths for exhibitors from Taiwan have been booked, Chen said.
A forum on cross-Straits economic co-operation and trade in the new century will also be held at the time.
A travelling and shopping festival targeting Taiwanese visitors will also take place simultaneously in the city.
Xiamen is expected to post a 15 per cent increase in its gross domestic product (GDP) this year. Exports are expected to grow by 33 per cent to US$5.9 billion, Chen said.
(This article was carried on People's Daily.com on Dec. 19, 2000)
