The round table meeting on the perspective of Taiwan’s economy and cross-strait economy and trade was held on April 13, 2008, in Boao, Hainan province.

It was sponsored by the committee of Boao Forum. Minister of Commerce Chen Deming and the Chairman of Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation Xiao Wanchang were invited to co-chair the meeting. Over 30 representatives from the cross-strait enterprises and academic circle were present at the meeting. With the principle of “Exchanging Cooperation for Mutual Benefit and Win-win Situation”, the problems centering on the cross-strait industrial cooperation, boosting direct links in mail, transport and trade, economic developing situation and confronted challenges were broadly and thoroughly discussed.

Chen pointed out in his speech that under the joint-effort made by the people cross-strait for 30 years, the cross-strait economic and trade cooperation, from naught to something，little to much, kept expanding and level improving. The cross-strait economic and trade cooperation had become to an important link and key factor to the peaceful and stable development of the cross-strait relationship.

Chen stressed that cross-strait economy had various developing environment and characteristics, as well as a strong complementarity and great developing space. At present, the top priority task was to realize the direct links in mail, transport and trade and normalization of cross-strait economic and trade ties as soon as possible.

Xiao expressed in his speech that many great progresses had achieved in cross-strait economic and trade exchanges over the last 20 years, which had possessed a competitive foundation and scale, but still remained many problems to be settled. The most urgent matter was boosting normalization of the cross-strait economic and trade ties and developing relevant economic and trade topics.

The presented representatives confirmed that the said round table meeting had practical topics and fruitful results. It had a positive significance not only for the benefit of the cross strait, but also for the prosperity and stability of Asian-Pacific economy. The two sides reached many consensuses on developing economy and trade: 1, building an even closer cross-strait economic and trade ties had great advantage for the two sides for it was the tendency; 2, under the advantageous situation of developing cross-strait economic and trade ties, the two sides should cooperate hand in hand more than ever for a common development; 3, it was the priority task to realize the direct links in mail, transport and trade, as well as the normalization of the cross-strait ties; 4, the platform for communicating and negotiating should be build up as soon as possible.