The signing of a financial regulatory cooperation agreement between Taiwan and China topped the list of the 10 most important news items concerning Taiwanese businesspeople last year, a local business group said.
The agreement, which paves the way for Taiwanese and Chinese financial institutions to venture into each other’s market, was chosen as the most important news item because of the creative manner in which the agreement was signed, said Hanson Chiang (姜志俊), president of the Chinese Professional Management Association of Taipei (台北市企業經理協進會), which conducted the survey among its directors and supervisors.
The agreement, which came into force on Jan. 16, was signed separately by Taiwanese and Chinese financial regulators in Taipei and Beijing and exchanged by courier.
Other developments on the list included six cross-strait pacts signed by Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and his Chinese counterpart, Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
It was followed by Taiwan’s participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly, the launch of China’s Western Straits Economic Zone, and President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) decision to negotiate an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China.
The Executive Yuan’s publication of rules governing Chinese investment in Taiwan came in sixth place.
Other developments, in descending order, were China’s campaign to sell electrical appliances to people in remote areas, the launch of postal remittances between China and Taiwan, the acceptance of China Unionpay cards in Taiwan, and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) being named Taiwan’s envoy to the leaders’ summit at the APEC forum.
Because of Ma’s policies seeking “rapprochement” with China, all 10 stories are positive developments, Chiang said.
This was in contrast with the top 10 stories of 2008, which featured mainly criminal cases, he said.
The Chinese Professional Management Association of Taipei consists of managers and business executives dedicated to promoting business management and economic development.
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