A workshop in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian Province, which received investments from enterprises based on the island of Taiwan Photo: VCG

The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on the island to expeditiously remove unreasonable restrictions that interfere with and obstruct cross-Straits economic and trade exchanges, and create a favorable environment for cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation.

"Expanding cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation and deepening cross-Straits integration and development are the aspirations of the people on both sides of the Strait and the general trend, which cannot be stopped by anyone or any force," Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the office, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

Zhu noted that cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation in 2021 maintained steady growth and overcame difficulties despite multiple uncertainties, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, mainland-Taiwan trade grew 26 percent year-on-year to $328.34 billion - double the level of $160.03 billion in 2011, official data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed. 

The mainland remained the island's largest export destination and source of trade surplus. Taiwan's exports to the mainland hit $188.91 billion, accounting for 42.3 percent of the island's total exports, with the trade surplus with the mainland hitting a record high of $104.74 billion, GAC data showed. Electronic components were the major commodities. 

Zhu said that the figures show that artificial barriers erected by the DPP authorities out of political self interests, the pandemic and other factors cannot change the solid foundation, objective needs and endless impetus for cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation.

Strong demand from the mainland has established a solid basis for cross-Straits trade cooperation, Tang Yonghong, deputy director of Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"The market and business environment of the mainland have remained relatively stable compared with other trade partners of the Taiwan island. Thanks to the effective containment of the COVID-19 outbreak in the mainland, trade and cooperation has not been significantly affected," Tang said. 

Tang said that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership taking effect will further attract more enterprises from the island of Taiwan.

The booth of Lepao Toys Industrial Co, a toy maker from the Island of Taiwan, at the 4th CIIE in Shanghai on November 8, 2021 Photo: GT

Zhu noted that investment of Taiwan-based enterprises in the mainland has kept increasing.

"Investment from Taiwan enterprises into the Chinese mainland has been booming in the past decade, with the number of projects approved jumping from 2,639 in 2011 to 6,595 in 2021. The total number of projects topped 123,781 as of the end of 2021 worth $71.34 billion," said Zhu.

Global Times