The event was attended by more than 700 women from Taiwan Province, and nearly 100 from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

It was the largest seminar so far, said Wang Naikun, a senior official with the All-China Women's Federation, the sponsor of the event. The first two seminars in 1993 and 2000 received together approximately 500 women from Taiwan.

Representatives and scholars focused on four topics, including entrepreneurship, education and equality, media, and family education and children's development.

The representatives will be divided into groups when discussions finish today and will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Fujian Province in East China, Sichuan Province in Southwest China, and Shaanxi Province in Northwest China between Thursday and Sunday.

"Women are regarded as an importance force in the undertaking of achieving peaceful development of cross-Straits relations," said Zheng Lizhong, vice-minister of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at the opening ceremony.

"Women across the Straits should carry forward Chinese culture and contribute to peace and stability of the motherland as well as to national rejuvenation," said Gu Xiulian, vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and president of the federation.

(China Daily 09/20/2006 page2)