Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan addresses the opening ceremony of the Cross-Strait Agricultural Forum opened in Boao, China's southernmost island province of Hainan, on Oct. 17, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

    The forum was jointly hosted by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the main Taiwan opposition party, the Chinese Kuomintang.

    According to the major points of the proposals, Taiwanese farmers and agricultural enterprises are encouraged to invest in the mainland and will be granted favorable treatment in project approval, land use, infrastructure development, financial support and quarantine.

Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC's Central Committee, announced 20 new preferential policies at the forum in a bid to boost agricultural cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.

Lien acknowledged that both the CPC and KMT have done a lot to promote the exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.

 KMT will stick to its policy of promoting exchanges and cooperation across the strait and no disorder in Taiwan will affect it, Lien said.

Wu Poh-hsiung, Vice-Chairman of KMT, said that despite his absence, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou cared deeply about the forum and had asked the five vice chairmen of the KMT to extend his thanks and congratulations.

Wu said at the closing ceremony that the two sides should work together to tackle challenges in the agricultural sector after their respective entry into the World Trade Organization.

Yok Mu-ming, Chairman of Taiwan's New Party, said the two sides should work to provide continuous exchanges between those people involved in the agriculture sectors across the Taiwan Strait.