Chen Yunlin (R), director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, talks with Tseng Yung-Chuan, head of Taiwan's Kuomintang group in Beijing February 22, 2006. [Reuters/file]

A spokesman with the office told Xinhua that Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, is invited to head a delegation for the forum. The 60-plus-member delegation will include officials of this office, leaders of relevant trade associations and agricultural companies, as well as some scholars.

According to the spokesman, the forum will be jointly sponsored by a research center of this office and a research fund of the Kuomintang party.

Featuring "enhancement of cross-Strait agricultural cooperation to realize a win-win result", the forum will focus on three topics, namely, the opportunities and challenges of the entry into the World Trade Organization, the ways of cross-Strait cooperation in agriculture, and the problems and solutions for such cooperation.

The spokesman said the forum is one of the inter-party exchange programs in accordance with the consensus reached by the CPC and Kuomintang last year.

"According to the reached consensus by the two parties, Chinese mainland and Taiwan will in turn host the cross-Strait forums," the spokesman said, adding "Therefore, the agricultural forum this time will be held in Taipei."

He noted that a cross-Strait economic and trade forum was held in Beijing last April. The forum was originally scheduled to open in Taipei last December, but was forced to change venue and time because of obstruction of the Taiwan authorities.

The spokesman said the compatriots across the Straits now share the same hope for peaceful and stable development of cross-Strait ties. The forum caters to the people's aspiration and focuses on the people's life.

"The Taiwan authorities should treat the forum with an active attitude and offer necessary conveniences," he said, stressing that the forum is expected to work out effective measures to solve the current problems in the cross-Strait agricultural cooperation.

The Taiwan authorities have reiterated its goal to revitalize the local economy in recent days. A recent survey showed that most of Taiwan residents believe that a sound economic relationship with the mainland is helpful to Taiwan, and the Taiwan authorities should make efforts to this end.

"The upcoming forum will bring benefit to the cross-Strait compatriots, especially farmers," the spokesman said.