Cross-Strait trade down 4.5 pct in 2016

Trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan was 179.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, down 4.5 percent from 2015, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Mainland exports to Taiwan totalled 40.4 billion U.S. dollars last year, a 10.1 percent year-on-year drop, and imports from Taiwan stood at 139.2 billion dollars, down 2.8 percent.

Taiwan is the mainland's seventh largest trade partner and sixth biggest source of imports.

The mainland approved 3,517 Taiwan-invested projects in 2016, with the actual use of Taiwanese capital reaching 1.96 billion U.S. dollars, up 27.7 percent from the previous year.

By the end of December 2016, the mainland had approved 98,815 Taiwan-invested projects, with the actual use of capital from Taiwan hitting 64.7 billion U.S. dollars.

Last year, the mainland's trade with Hong Kong totaled 305.3 billion U.S. dollars, down 11.1 percent year on year.

Mainland exports to Hong Kong stood at 288.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, a decrease of 12.7 percent from the previous year, while the mainland's imports from the region saw an increase of 32.4 percent to 16.9 billion U.S. dollars.

Hong Kong is the mainland's fourth-largest trading partner and third-largest export market, according to the ministry.

The mainland approved 12,753 Hong Kong-invested projects in 2016, with the actual use of Hong Kong capital reaching 81.5 billion U.S. dollars, down 5.7 percent from 2015.

By the end of December 2016, the mainland had approved 398,966 Hong Kong-invested projects, with the actual use of Hong Kong capital totalling 914.8 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 51.7 percent of the mainland's actual use of overseas capital. Endi