A forum was held here Saturday to promote cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits, attracting about 50 scholars from the mainland and Taiwan.

The two-day forum is organized by the Friendship Association of Cultural Circles of China with an aim to discuss how to promote cross-Straits exchanges and carry forward elite traditional Chinese culture.

The cross-Straits cultural exchanges have increased in recent years in areas like literary, art and folk custom, said Zhang Aiping, deputy director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan affairs department under the Ministry of Culture.

The mainland cultural authorities have approved about 2,000 projects on cross-Straits cultural exchanges since 2000, involving 20,000 participants, Zhang said.

Shanghai has been an attractive destination for Taiwan investors.

The improving investment environment in Shanghai has attracted many Taiwan businessmen and about 300,000 compatriots from Taiwan are living in the metropolis, including many engaged in cultural cause, said Liu Jian, a senior official with Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and TV.