Dear leaders from industrial and commercial circles of Taiwan and mainland, guests and friends,

Good evening, I feel very glad to be with you here and jointly participate in the unveiling ceremony of Foreign Trade Federation (FTF) in Taibei. On behalf of the mainland, I would like to extend sincere greetings to our present guests, journalists and friends and extend warm congratulations on the establishment of Taibei office of FTF.

In recent years, under the joint efforts of compatriots on both sides, Taiwan and mainland have enjoyed a peaceful development with fruitful trade and economic cooperation. This year marks the fifth year of the signing of ECFA. Facts have proved that the signing of ECFA has ushered in a new chapter for the institutionalization of trade and economic cooperation of the two sides and has brought in tangible benefits for the peoples of the two sides. Over the past five years, the trade and investment scale of the two sides has been continuously expanded, the industrial cooperation has been constantly promoted and the communication between trade and economic communities has been increasingly close. In terms of trade, the trade scale of the two sides in 2014 reached US$198.31 billion. The mainland has become the largest trade partner, the largest export market and the largest surplus source of Taiwan. With regard to investment, by the end of 2014, the mainland has accumulatively attracted US$61.15 billion from Taiwan, plus reinvestment of the third place, the number reaching US$110 billion, becoming the largest investment destination of Taiwan. Since Taiwan gradually opened its market to mainland, 247 non-financial enterprises of the mainland have gone to Taiwan to set up companies and representative organizations, with an investment of US$790 million.

These obtained achievements cannot be separated from the efforts of the two sides as well as industrial and business circles. It is worth mentioning that FTF, as the only national organization of the mainland that specifically engages in trade and economic communication of the two sides, has always insisted on the tenet of promoting the trade and economic communication and cooperation of the two sides since its establishment, and done a large number of effective work in promoting economic integration of the two sides. For example, FTF organized enterprises to go to Taiwan to purchase nine times between 2009 and 2014, with an amount of about US$8 billion, creating a pioneer work of enterprises from the mainland going to Taiwan to purchase. This practice not only brings in a large number of good-quality products of Taiwan to the mainland and enriches the mainland’s commodity market, but also effectively expands the sales channel of enterprises in Taiwan, benefiting the two sides. Through introducing in commodities of Taiwan, FTF positively organizes enterprises of the mainland to participate in the exhibitions and fairs of all fields in Taiwan. FTF holds seven exhibitions in Taiwan annually with 300 booths and 500 exhibitors. Of course, this is the only one part of many trade and economic communication activities of FTF.

The establishment of FTF in Taiwan is significant for the two sides to implement and carry out the ECFA, and an important achievement of the institutional negotiation of the two sides. We should double the treasures. The office also undertakes important missions to promote industrial cooperation, enhances trade and economic exchanges and service industrial and business enterprises of the two sides. Here, I would like to talk about several expectations to the office of FTF in Taiwan: First, adhere to the tenet and provide better service to industrial and business circles. Efforts should be made to assist the trade exchanges and investment cooperation between FTF members and industrial and business enterprises of the two sides and play the role of bridge and bond. Second, play its own advantage and expand emerging cooperation fields. Efforts should be made to give full play to the advantages of industrialists and businessmen to extensively conduct investigation, focus on exploring new mode and highlights of cooperation in business fields of the two sides so as to offer advice and suggestions for deepening industrial cooperation of the two sides. Third, make persistent efforts to lead all circles to communicate and dock with each other. Efforts should be made to strengthen connection and communication between all circles on the islands, especially industrial and business circles so as to drive the cooperation and docking between all regions and guilds of the mainland and their counterparts in Taiwan essentially through promotion trade and economy.

I would to take this opportunity to extend heartfelt thanks to our friends from the industrial and business circles of Taiwan who always support FTF and friends from the media who pay attention to trade and economic cooperation between the two sides. My thanks also go to the organizer of Taiwan of the seminar of the 3rd modern business service industry cooperation and development as well as our friends of Business Development Research Institute in Taiwan

Last, may you all good health and a joyous holiday!

Thank you!