Chinese businessmen on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are beginning to join hands in tapping world market, according to experts attending the ongoing Fifth Xiamen-Taiwan Trade Fair, which opened in east China's Xiamen City last Thursday.

For the first time, the fair has been sponsored by both sides across the Straits and become an occasion of mutual exchanges and cooperation, which is a radical change from the originally export-oriented approach by the mainland side.

Statistics show that the year 2000 saw a record US$30.5 billion of trade between the two sides, approximately 396 times of the figure in 1979 when the two sides resumed trade.

According to an official from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the mainland boasts abundant resources, huge market, and cheap labor, while Taiwan has advantages in high-technology, capital, and global trading network.

"Economically complementary, both sides could benefit from the cooperation," he said.

South China's Zhujiang Delta and the Yangtze River Delta in east China, among other regions, are not only the favorite of Taiwan investors but have been transformed as the production bases and spring-boards for Taiwan companies to enhance presence on world market, Taiwan businessmen held.

(Xinhua 04/15/2001)