REGIONAL> Highlights
13th CXMEE opens in Xiamen
By Hu Meidong and Wang Lu (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-09 11:48

The 13th China Xiamen Machinery and Electronics Exhibition (CXMEE) opened yesterday at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center, which will also feature the first-ever Cross-Straits E-commerce Summit Forum and E-Commerce Exhibition.

Organizers revealed that in spite of the unfolding international financial crisis, more than 800 enterprises will take part in this year's CXMEE, and up to 70 percent of those enterprises are repeat exhibitors. The 13th CXMEE is hosting a record number of 1,970 booths this year.

Jointly organized by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Machinery & Electronic Products (CCCME), Xiamen Municipal Government and Taiwan Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (TEEMA), the CXMEE will showcase close to 2,000 booths of conspicuous Taiwan-oriented features, a scale exceeding that of previous sessions.

Enterprises from across the Taiwan Straits with significant business opportunities will be represented at the CXMEE in an effort to help them cope with the challenges of the international financial crisis. "Ourpurpose at the CXMEE is very clear—to gain orders" saidXiamenvice mayor Huang Ling at the CXMEE press conference yesterday.

The annual CXMEE is the largest and most influential economic and trade cooperation event across the Taiwan Straits. Since its establishment 13 years ago, it has become a major platform for economic and trade cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

"I never expected to see so many enterprise represented here. I had thought that everyone was tightening their belts in the midst of the financial crisis," said Lo Huai-chia, executive director-general of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association. Huang Heming, Secretary-General of the CXMEE Organizing Committee and Director of theXiamenPromotionCenterfor Trade toTaiwan, estimates that nearly 30,000 professional business people will join this year's exhibition.

Liu Meikun, vice director of the CXMEE Organizing Committee and the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Machinery and Electronics Products, says that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are working on a "comprehensive economic cooperation agreement", which will lead to the establishment of a special economic cooperation mechanism across the Taiwan Straits.

Li Shuilin, president of the Association of Economy and Trade across the Taiwan Straits, stated that the growth in trade across the Taiwan Straits, especially growth inTaiwan's exports to the mainland, has created a large number of job vacancies for Taiwanese. Taiwanese investment in the mainland has also promotedTaiwan's industrial transformation and upgrading, he says.

Tang Wei, vice Chairman of the CXMEE Organizing Committee, stated that since the historic opening of direct postal, commercial, air and shipping links across the Taiwan Straits last year, economic and trade exchange across the Taiwan Straits has been advancing, and cross-straits relations have entered a fresh historic phase characterized by “exchange, cooperation and development across the board”.

“In the midst of the positive developments in relations cross the Taiwan Straits, the 13th CXMEE will further expand its scale and stage four exhibitions and multiple forums simultaneously,” according to Tang.

“The exhibition will provide a broader platform for industrial and commercial communities across the Taiwan Straits to collaborate, interact and bond with each other and create favorable conditions for both sides to strengthen cooperation, jointly cope with the international financial crisis, and secure win-win results. It’s important that we seize this opportunity to boost economic and trade relations across the Taiwan Straits,” he added.

The 13th CXMEE will also host the Cross-Straits Economic and Trade Forum, themed at expanding financial cooperation and serving SMEs across the Taiwan Straits. The CXMEE runs until April 11.

China Daily Fujian Bureau