Economic cooperation beneficial to people, enterprises across Straits: spokesperson

BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said the 2018 annual conference of the summit for entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Straits had showed cross-Strait economic cooperation was beneficial to people and enterprises on both sides.

The conference also showed that industrial and business communities across the Straits were closer and the relationship was more solid, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.

The 2018 annual conference of the summit for entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Straits was held on Dec 4 in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, addressed the conference.

"Being held for five years [running], the annual conference has played an important role in promoting industrial cooperation across the Straits, improving people's wellbeing, and advancing the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations," Ma said.

"Three cross-Straits industrial cooperation zones were established in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sichuan and Hubei provinces [respectively] since last year."

Ma said the industrial cooperation zones were meant to help Taiwan enterprises to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and share development opportunities in central and western China.

So far, 55 administrative areas in 22 mainland provincial regions have taken tailored measures to better implement the 31 preferential policies for Taiwan compatriots, according to Ma.

These measures, designed according to local conditions, include tax cuts for high-tech enterprises, scholarships for Taiwanese students on the mainland, discounts for public transport and public rental housing, regulations to attract more Taiwanese compatriots and protect their legal rights.

The 31 preferential policies released in February cover legal rights, education, culture and tourism, and are aimed at improving the lives of all Taiwanese people.