China is sending teams to Taiwan to buy billions of dollars of goods ranging from food to television screens in a gesture aimed at boosting the island's sagging economy, officials said Monday.
The first of three Chinese procurement delegations arrived Sunday, with two further groups arriving late June and next month, officials said.
The unusual plan launched by China's authorities — for the first time in nearly six decades — is a further sign of improvement in ties between Taipei and Beijing after the China-friendly administration of President Ma Ying-jeou was inaugurated in May last year.
"The mainland will buy anything we need from Taiwan, we won't buy from any other places," Li Shuilin, head of China's Mainland Association for Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Exchanges, told reporters.
Li would not specify the value of the orders to be placed by the first procurement team, but Taiwanese trade officials estimated this would be worth around two billion US dollars.
The delegation consists of 77 members representing 40 mainland enterprises, including home appliance and information technology makers Haier, Lenovo and Changhong.
"The two sides should expand exchanges while the world is being threatened by an international financial crisis," Li said, adding that his group planned to buy flat-panel TV screens, IT products, petrochemicals and food.
Taiwan's export orders fell 20.90 percent year on year to 25.13 billion US dollars in April on continued weakness in global demand for its key products, with information and communication product-makers worst affected.
Taiwan also reported a record economic contraction of 10.24 percent in the first quarter of this year, after an 8.61 percent dive in the previous three months on dwindling overseas demand.
China still regards Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, although the island has been self-governing since the end of their civil war in 1949.
Relations have warmed since Ma took office, with the two sides signing agreements that have led to regular direct flights, increased investment opportunities and a tourist boom.
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