TAIPEI: A group of mainland buyers who arrived in Taipei Wednesday donated 3 million yuan ($438,981) for disaster relief in Taiwan.

They plan to purchase $900 million worth of Taiwanese goods, the head of the delegation said at a news conference yesterday.

The group, the third of its kind to be organized by Beijing's Association of Economy and Trade Across the Taiwan Straits (AETATS) this year, arrived at a time when Taiwan is trying to dig itself out of the rubble left by Typhoon Morakot.

The mission is made up of more than 120 executives representing 55 major mainland enterprises, including Lenovo, Chongqing Hybest Air Tools and Kingfa Sci & Tech.

AETATS Vice President Tang Wei, who is also head of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Department under Ministry of Commerce, is leading the delegation.

Tang Wei stressed that the donations are a compassionate rather than a political gesture. It was also offered in return for Taiwan's kindness and generosity during the Sichuan earthquake last year, he said.

His comment was a reference to the fact that two days after a magnitude-7.8 temblor struck Sichuan in May last year, Taiwan's Red Cross Society mustered NT$70 million ($2.27 million) in donations for disaster relief. The Taiwan government also donated a total of NT$2 billion to the effort.

The group handed over the cash donation to the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, which will pass it on to the relevant agencies soon.

The delegation has begun one-on-one sessions with Taiwanese suppliers, and plans to purchase $900 million worth of machinery, petrochemical and textile goods.

The first mainland procurement mission organized by the AETATS visited Taiwan in June and placed more than $2.2 billion worth of orders for computers, television sets and other home appliances. The goods have already been shipped to China.

The second AETATS group was in Taiwan July 12-17 to buy $700 million worth of specialty foods, giftware, daily necessities and handicrafts.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 08/21/2009 page2)