The Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA) recently released a 2015 report into investment environment and risk review in mainland markets. The report compiles data from 118 mainland cities and districts, among which Xiamen Island ranked second in overall competitiveness while Xiamen's off-island area ranked 10th, each improving by one spot from 2014.

Suzhou industrial park, Chengdu, Suzhou, Xiaoshan district in Hangzhou, Kunshan in Suzhou, Qingdao and Pudong in Shanghai also appeared in the top 10 list of overall competitiveness.

TEEMA released its first such report in 2000 to examine the business environment and investment risks in major cities across China. Surveys on enterprises from Taiwan that had entered the mainland market were factored into the final results. The report has therefore been considered by many Taiwan businessmen as a practical reference for conducting business in the mainland.

The 2015 report rates Xiamen, including its Island and off-island area, as an A Class city for Taiwan investors. As a pivotal city in China's Belt and Road Initiative, Xiamen's improvement in this year's rankings can be attributed to its efforts on lifting market barriers, creating a better business environment and developing its free trade zone.

Xiamen's local government has prioritized the development of the city's convention and exhibition industry of late. CIFIT sessions, Straits Forums and Xiamen International Industry Expositions have been held in the city for years, playing a key role in attracting Taiwan businesses.

TEEMA and its members have invested heavily in the mainland market, including Xiamen in Fujian province. TEEMA is the co-host of Xiamen International Industry Exposition, also known as China Xiamen Machinery and Electronics Exhibition. The expo has served as a platform of cross-Straits exchange since its induction in 1997.

This year's expo is set to open on April 12 in Xiamen, where more than 900 exhibitors will showcase their products at a 100,000 square meter exhibition site. Exhibitions will range from products and businesses relating to equipment and machinery, rubber and plastic, robotics and automation, tooling and components, and surface treatment.

A string of seminars will be held on the sideline of the expo. The themes of the seminars will include cross-Straits economic exchanges, industrial cooperation and development, industry 4.0, 3D printing, industrial robotics, automation and smart technology.

With further events scheduled this year, the expo is in a good position to continue to strengthen economic ties between the mainland and Taiwan.

Editedy by Jacob Hooson