ECFA to Further Drive China's Procurements in Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 5, 2011 (CENS)—The fast-track gainer list on the ECFA (economic cooperation framework agreement) will motivate China to buy more products on such list from Taiwan this year.

More buy-Taiwan groups from China are scheduled to arrive. One from Liaoning Province and one from Shanghai are slated to arrive in February; while one organized by China's industrial and commercial association will come in April and one organized by the association of China's small- and medium-sized enterprises will arrive in May. In addition, three more groups composed of representatives from Shanghai, Jiangsu Province and Shangdong Province are scheduled to come to Taiwan in September.

Last year China organized 13 official buy-Taiwan groups, which together purchased products worth about US$20 billion. This year the projected groups may focus their purchases of 539 duty-free items as on the ECFA fast-track gainer list. The first group to arrive in 2011 will be from Liaoning, said to be led by provincial governor Chen Zhenggao and slated to arrive in Taiwan in mid-February.

The Liaoning group will focus on purchasing fruits and may travel to southern Taiwan to see fruit growers. Some members of the group reportedly plan to set up a Taiwan fruit wholesale center in Liaoning, aiming to provide fruits to northeastern China.

Later in the same month, a group from Shanghai will be led by Shanghai Major Han Zheng to visit the Taipei Flora Expo and culture-related sectors.