CPMAT releases a survey

A revised statute governing the relations between the people on either side of the Taiwan Strait was top of a list of 10 events that have most affected Taiwanese businesspeople operating in China last year, according to the results of a survey released yesterday.

The survey was conducted by the Chinese Professional Management Association of Taipei (CPMAT, 台北市企業經理協進會), which serves as an advisory group for Taiwanese businessmen and was set up under the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council.

Association officials noted that several major trade and economic events last year affected Taiwan businessmen operating in China to varying degrees.

First and foremost was the legislature's passing of the revised Statute Governing the Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例), the largest-scale revision since the statute was put into practice 11 years ago to cover cross-strait consultation, finance, trade, education, culture, shipping and personnel exchanges. The revision is considered to have had deep and far-reaching effects for these businesspeople.

The outbreak of SARS in the first half of last year, which affected both sides of the Taiwan Strait as well as other parts of the world, was ranked the second-top event.