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Will Clem

Package includes 130b yuan in loans for Taiwanese firms on mainland
Beijing has pledged 130 billion yuan (HK$148 billion) in loans to Taiwanese businesses operating on the mainland as part of an economic co-operation package to help the island weather the global financial crisis.
The loans were one of 10 measures announced yesterday  at the end of a two-day cross-strait economic forum  attended by high-level politicians from both sides.
Under the measures,  mainland banks will make available the 130 billion yuan in new loans to Taiwanese firms over the next three years.
Tax breaks given to small and medium-sized mainland companies  will be extended to those from Taiwan. And Taiwanese firms will be allowed to take part in the mainland's economic stimulus projects.
Other measures include joint development of hi-tech and new energy industries, greater co-operation in agriculture, and policies to stimulate cross-strait investment.
The mainland has also pledged to buy US$2 billion worth of flat-screen displays made on the island.
'Compatriots on both sides are part of the same family. We feel the same pain at this current time of economic difficulties in Taiwan,' said Wang Yi , director of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office.
Ties between Beijing and Taipei suffered a major setback while Taiwan's pro-independence president Chen Shui-bian was in office, but have been improving at an unprecedented rate since the Kuomintang's Ma Ying-jeou took office in May.
The forum, which drew more than 400 delegates, was the first to be attended by KMT members while in political office.
Both Beijing and Taipei's top men at the forum - the fourth since 2005 - hailed the meeting as a complete success that signified a 'new beginning' for cross-strait relations.
KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said both sides were committed to holding a fifth round of the non-binding talks next year, and said they hoped to widen participation to include the full political spectrum.
'We hope the Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan Solidarity Union will also come to take part next year, to increase the diversity of this forum to include different opinions and seek greater mutual understanding,' Mr Wu said.
More than half of the 140-strong Taiwanese delegation came from outside the KMT,  but the inclusion of pro-independence parties would signal a major shift in cross-strait relations.
Beijing reacted positively to the idea.  'We welcome those like-minded people [from Taiwan] but we also welcome those who hold different views. Only by doing so, could we accommodate different views and truly reflect the public opinions from both sides of the strait,' Mr Wang said.
Jia Qingling , chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the forum was of greater importance than previous rounds, given the need for greater co-operation to deal with the bleak economic situation worldwide.
'The consensus reached represents the common hope of people on both sides of the strait,' he said.
KMT vice-chairman Tseng Yung-chuan announced a series of proposals  for improving trade and economic ties  which are likely to shape formal negotiations next year.
These include a call to set up a cross-strait body to oversee the finance and securities industries and establish a currency clearing system, paving the way for Taiwanese banks to enter the mainland market.



Beijing helps  Taipei tackle  financial crisis