(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-30 22:13

BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland plans to buy high-quality fruit from Taiwan during the Beijing Olympics, said a spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday.

"In the past two years, the Chinese mainland has taken several measures to help Taiwan fruit and vegetable farmers increase their sales in the mainland, which is much appreciated by Taiwan farmers," Yang Yi, the spokesman, said.

"Since last year, Taiwan fruit producers have showed a keen interest in participating in the Beijing Olympics' fruit supply, and they are eager to set up fruit marketing channels with the mainland," said Yang.

Detailed plans are being discussed between a Beijing fruit distributor and Taiwan farming organizations and enterprises, said Yang.

By November last year, agriculture investment in the mainland from Taiwan reached 6.7 billion US dollars. Last year, Taiwan sold 187 million US dollars worth of agricultural products to the mainland, a year-on-year increase of 23 percent.

Of that total, products with a zero tariff reached 3,143 tons valued at 4.33 million US dollars, saving 4.86 million yuan for Taiwan fruit producers.