(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-30 16:31

The investment trend has changed as markets in the developed eastern coastal areas are becoming saturated while other areas are all showing rapid, sound economic development, said Tang Wei, an official with the Ministry of Commerce in charge of trade affairs between the mainland and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

"Move westwards" and "expand northwards" are among the most frequently used phrases by Taiwan merchants recently, reported the Taiwan-based China Times in September.

Since 2006, the mainland has adopted policies and measures to limit exports of products made in energy-intensive, high-pollution facilities and to promote the transformation and upgrading of the export processing trade.

Meanwhile, the improved economic environment and the mainland's new policy on trade have helped Taiwan traders to improve the overall investment arrangements and encouraged them to explore new industries, including high technology, new materials and services.

Although the manufacturing industry was still the top activity in the cross-strait economic cooperation, investments in primary and tertiary industries both rose in the first three seasons.

Investment in real estate and farming, fishing and forestry increased by 32.4 percent and 35.2 percent, respectively, while investment in architecture led with a hike of 97 percent.

Services, especially product services and business and commercial services, became a newly preferred type of business among Taiwan merchants, said professor Li Fei of Xiamen University in Fujian Province.

During 2007, the mainland issued policies to promote cross-strait cooperation in various sectors, including transportation (roads, shipping and aviation), farming, television series, arbitration and many others.

The policies were believed to have been significant factors in cross-strait economic cooperation.

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