Taiwan Businesses Not to Be Marginalized in Mainland

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday Taiwanese-invested businesses in the mainland will not be marginalized by the economic restructuring of the mainland.

Wen told a press conference that the mainland's efforts to transform its economic development pattern would create better investment environment and bring more favorable opportunities to Taiwan companies.

"They will enjoy a greater potential for development," he said in response to a question concerning worries in Taiwan that the mainland economy's shift to a more environment-friendly pattern could adversely affect some Taiwanese-invested businesses that are mainly labor- and resource-intensive.

The mainland has become a major destination of Taiwan investment, with nine percent of total overseas investment in the mainland coming from the island, he said.

Up to date, there are more than 80,000 Taiwanese-invested businesses in the mainland, with a total amount of investment surpassing 90 billion U.S. dollars.

Wen said the cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement's (ECFA's) "early harvest" program has been going on smoothly and brought positive results since it took effect on Jan. 1.

Noting the existence of problems in ECFA's implementation, Wen pledged to push forward further the follow-up negotiations of ECFA in a gradual way.

The trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan exceeded US$140 billion in 2010, with Taiwan's surplus reaching 86 billion dollars, Wen said, adding that trade volume grew 30 percent in January.

"I anticipate Taiwan businesses will enjoy bigger development in the mainland,"he said.