By Xinhua,
Shanghai : China Saturday said it was willing to help Taiwan tackle the current global financial crisis, a gesture that will help the two political rivals further ease their decades-long tension.
“If the worsening world economic situation continues and the Taiwan side asks for help to solve economic difficulties, the mainland is willing to offer assistance with utmost efforts,” Jia Qinglin, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader said at the fourth Cross-Straits Economic and Cultural Forum that began here Saturday.
Jia, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said China has worked out series of measures to enlarge domestic demand and boost economic growth, which will advance the economic development of the mainland as well as Taiwan.
“The measures will provide new trade and investment opportunities for Taiwan businessmen,” he said.
He said the compatriots of the two sides should help each other in the crucial stage to cope with the crisis. “We should get through the difficulties hand in hand.”
The forum, organised to establish trade and cultural ties between the two sides, came after China and Taiwan ended a six decade ban on direct transport and postal links on Dec 15.
Experts believe the resumption of links may boost Taiwan’s $380 billion economy that is heading for its first recession in seven years.
The CPC leader also suggested the two sides should expand fields of industrial cooperation, improve cooperation in the finance sector, quicken the pace of normalisation of cross-straits economic relation and set up an economic cooperation mechanism as soon as possible.
Speaking at the forum, Wu Poh-hsiung, chairman of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, said the two sides should treasure current opportunity of development as direct links of transport, trade and mail services between the two sides have been resumed recently.
“It is the two parties’ courage and determination in recent years that has created today’s situation,” Wu said.
Deng Dai-sian, associate researcher of the KMT National Policy Foundation, said Jia’s suggestions are another favourable thing the mainland presented to Taiwan.
“They are also very timely,” Deng said, adding that the Taiwan delegates applauded Jia’s words of economic assistance to Taiwan.
Chiao Jen-ho, former vice chairman and secretary-general of Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), said Taiwan economy would get through the difficulties for sure with the assistance and support of the mainland.
“The suggestions are really great! They will be definitely hailed by the Taiwan people,” Chiao said.