China said yesterday it would send more delegations to Taiwan to buy goods as a way of helping Taiwan’s export-dependent economy, which has been battered by the global financial crisis.
Fan Liqing (范麗青), a spokeswoman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said a visit by representatives from 35 Chinese companies earlier this month had resulted in deals worth more than US$2.2 billion, covering computers, liquid-crystal-display (LCD) screens, chemicals and textiles.
MAINLAND WAY
“This is the mainland’s way of helping Taiwan overcome the unfortunate effects of the international financial crisis and a positive way of helping them overcome economic difficulties,” Fan told a regular news briefing.
Taiwan’s economy contracted at a record pace of more than 10 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, keeping the economy deep in recession as exports demand slumped globally.
Exports for last month fell by almost one-third from a year earlier, but the fall was slightly less than expected as a slump in demand from the island’s major trading partners showed tentative signs of easing.
EXPORTS
Last month’s exports totaled US$16.17 billion and imports were US$13.01 billion, leaving a trade surplus of US$3.17 billion.
China exports dropped 30 percent from a year earlier, a modest improvement from a 33.6 percent fall in April’s data.
Beijing has pledged to help the island, despite past political tensions.
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