A series of new policies aimed at boosting agricultural
cooperation across the Taiwan Straits were announced at a
cross-Straits agricultural forum on Tuesday.
The policies were announced by Chen Yunlin, director of the
Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central
Committee at the one-day forum, held in Boao in the southernmost
island province of Hainan.
The forum was jointly hosted by the Communist Party of China
(CPC) and the main Taiwan opposition party, the Chinese Kuomintang
(KMT).
The policies encourage Taiwan-based agricultural organizations,
enterprises and farmers to set up agricultural development zones
and cooperate with their counterparts on the Chinese mainland.
Chinese laws and regulations allow Taiwan farmers to establish
private businesses in agricultural development zones on the Chinese
mainland, the policies state.
Fiscal support will be given to infrastructure construction of
agricultural cooperation and development zones.
A number of approved agricultural cooperation zones in Sichuan
and Jiangsu provinces and in the municipalities of Chongqing and
Shanghai are already being brought into operation, according to the
policies.
Farm products fairs and sales promotion programs are highly
encouraged, and an undertaking has been made to provide better
quarantine and customs services.
The other major points of the policies are as follows:
-- In addition to east China's Fujian Province, agriculture
products from Taiwan will be allowed to enter the mainland market
in Shantou, south China's Guangdong Province.
-- Agricultural and business affairs authorities on the Chinese
mainland will set up websites featuring a consultation service for
Taiwanese investors.
-- Applications for the import of seeds and legal trade on wild
plants and animals will be simplified.
-- Local governments across the Chinese mainland will provide a
fast and open transportation service for Taiwanese agricultural
products.
-- Those found pirating registered trademarks of Taiwan
agricultural products, including fruit, will be punished.
"After our extensive contacts with Taiwan farmers, we feel it is
both important and pressing to enhance cross-straits cooperation in
the agricultural sector," said Lien Chan, Honorary Chairman of the
KMT.
It is therefore "of great significance" for experts, scholars
and agricultural proprietors from both sides of the Taiwan Straits
to discuss problems confronting their farmers and prospects for
cooperation, Lien added.
He said he believed the forum would "turn over a new page" for
cross-straits cooperation.
The "three direct links", Lien Chan said, will help both sides
sharpen their competitive edge in the agricultural sector. "Most
shipments between the mainland and Taiwan have to go through Hong
Kong, Macao or other regions. It takes longer and costs more and
therefore impairs our competitiveness."
The mainland has been urging an early realization of "three
direct links" of trade, mail and transport across the Straits since
1979.
Cross-straits trade of agricultural products was valued at
US$421 million by the end of 2004 and warmer ties in the recent two
or three years have spurred an influx of Taiwan farm produce into
the mainland market.
To date, the mainland has granted market access to 22 categories
of Taiwan fruits and adopted zero-tariff policies on 15 of them. It
has also exempted tariffs on 11 categories of vegetables and eight
kinds of aquatic products.
(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2006)
