272期兩岸經貿大事紀

6/29  總統出訪中美洲二友邦

馬英九總統「興誼之旅」於6月29日啟程，此次出訪共計7日，主要係參加巴拿馬共和國新任總統瓦雷拉（Juan Carlos Varela）就職典禮，並順訪薩爾瓦多，與該國總統桑契斯（Salvador Sánchez Cerén）簽署聯合公報。此次參與巴國瓦雷拉總統就職典禮的外國元首、副元首及特使共20餘位，總統與包括美國國務卿凱瑞（John Kerry）及西班牙總理拉霍伊（Mariano Rajoy）等各國代表熱絡互動。總統指出，我政府推動「活路外交」普獲肯定，友邦也願意配合執行相關政策。此外，到訪的每個城市皆舉辦僑宴，參與僑胞共計超過1千餘人。

7/5  電電公會昆山辦事處掛牌成立

電電公會蘇州（昆山）代表處7月5日掛牌正式成立，這是兩岸第2家工商團體設立的第1個辦事機構，經濟部投審會執行秘書張銘斌與大陸商務部司長陳星、國台辦經濟局長徐莽共同揭牌。大陸第2家工商團體海貿會亦將來台成立代表處。

7/9  林中森董事長會見福建省委書記尤權

福建省委書記尤權於7月7日率團來台進行5天「走親訪友、合作交流、共同發展」參訪行程，由南往北一路走訪高雄、台南、台中、台北與金門等地。海基會林中森董事長9日會見尤權書記時表示，兩岸除經貿互利雙贏外，應可共定產業標準、共創全球品牌，盼福建作為領頭典範，讓全球對兩岸刮目相看，也表示台商赴陸投資部分個案問題未獲解決，盼望尤書記能多加關切。尤書記則表示，他是第一次來台灣，大陸正在推動經濟體質的改革開放，希望營造公正、高效率投資環境，台商在大陸的權益不僅可以獲得保障，台商困難也一定會想辦法解決。

7/15  平潭海關正式揭牌　開啟兩岸快速通道

福建省平潭海關揭牌，平潭成為全大陸最大海關特殊監管區，將按「一線放寬、二線管住、人貨分離、分類管理」管理模式，實行全島開放。相關優惠政策包括允許台灣汽機車在臨時牌照有效期內多次自由進出。福建省平潭對台小額商品交易市場（平潭台灣商品免稅市場）也正式開業，這是大陸第二個對台小額商品免稅交易市場。並將進一步推動跨境電子商務、海運快件、台車入閩、對台小額商品交易市場等各項業務發展。

7/16  大陸第2季GDP增7.5％

受工業、固定資產投資及消費成長帶動，大陸第2季國內生產毛額（GDP）比去年同期成長7.5％，較第1季的7.4％增長；大陸經濟趨穩回升，貨幣政策仍將維持小範圍的定向降準，下半年將依賴財政政策來穩定增長。另外，大陸國家統計局公布數據顯示，上半年大陸國內生產總值26兆9,044億元人民幣，按可比價格計算、年增7.4％。上半年第3產業快速成長，占全國GDP比例達到46.6%，成長速度高於第1及第2產業。

7/17  陸委會：民意高度肯定第二次「兩岸事務首長會議」成果

行政院大陸委員會公布最新例行性民調，對於今年6月大陸國台辦主任張志軍首次訪台，以及陸委會王主委與張志軍舉行第二次「兩岸事務首長會議」，近7成民眾贊成陸委會主委與國台辦主任定期互訪（69.0%）、多數民眾認為有助於兩岸事務處理（63.7%）、兩岸官方往來對兩岸關係良性發展具有重要意義（60.7%），並有助於大陸官方瞭解臺灣民意（54.6%）。陸委會表示，未來政府將秉持「對等、尊嚴」原則，推動兩岸官方互動機制有序運作。

7/18  我人均GDP　全球排名27

行政院主計總處指出，依世界銀行的購買力平價（PPP）編算結果，2011年台灣由於相對物價水準排名全球106名，物價低使得購買力提高，PPP算得的每人GDP達39,059美元，超越日、韓，居全球第27，比2005年提升一名。

7/18  第6屆海峽兩岸觀光交流圓桌會議在長春舉行

第6屆海峽兩岸觀光交流圓桌會議在吉林長春市舉行，由「台灣海峽兩岸觀光旅遊協會」（台旅會）會長謝謂君與大陸「海峽兩岸旅遊交流協會」（海旅會）會長邵琪偉共同主持。雙方共同宣布第4批陸客來台自由行城市，從8月18日起再增加哈爾濱、太原、南昌、貴陽、大連、無錫、溫州、中山、煙台與漳州等10個城市，合計開放陸客來台自由行城市已達36個城市。陸客來台自由行自100年6月開放至今年6月止，累計已超過124萬7千人次，平均每日達2,785人次，今年赴台自由行人數可望突破百萬人次。

7/22  林董事長會見江西省委書記強衛

江西省委書記強衛7月21日來台進行6天參訪，從北到南共走訪6縣市。期間參與民俗宗教活動、經貿與文化推廣活動、產業對接座談。海基會林中森董事長22日會見強衛書記時除表達歡迎之意，並強調台灣為人民自由各抒己見的多元社會，不希望服貿協議的審議過程，影響兩岸正常的交往合作與後續議題協商。強書記表示，江西已成為大陸中部地區台資企業數量最多、投資額最大的省份，台資企業成為推動江西發展的重要力量，兩岸應經濟合作，實現優勢互補，合作共贏。

7/22  林中森董事長率團赴廣東參訪

海基會林中森董事長於7月22日至27日率「關懷廣東台商參訪團」赴花都、惠州、深圳、肇慶、佛山及順德進行6天參訪，期間出席「深圳台商協會24周年慶」、「肇慶台商協會18周年慶」，並參訪台資企業、與台商座談，除傾聽台商心聲，同時廣宣兩岸服務貿易協議相關內容，並鼓勵台商回台投資。在會見各地官員時反映台商意見，協助台商解決問題。

Chronicle of Cross-strait Economic and Trade Events

August, 2014  No.272

6/29  President Ma visits two Central American allies

President Ma Ying-jeou embarked on a seven-day "Visit of Ascendant Friendship" on June 29. The main purposes of the visit were to attend the inauguration of President Juan Carlos Varela of the Republic of Panama and sign a joint communique with President Salvador Sánchez Cerén in El Salvador. President Varela's inauguration was attended by more than 20 foreign heads of state, deputy heads of state and envoys. President Ma had friendly exchanges with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and representatives of other countries. The president noted that the ROC government's "flexible diplomacy" earned broad approval and that allies were willing to implement related policies. Furthermore, banquets for overseas Chinese were arranged in each of the cities visited, attracting over 1,000 overseas Chinese participants.

7/5  TEEMA opens Kunshan office

The Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA) opened its Suzhou (Kunshan) Representative Office on July 5. TEEMA is the second industrial or commercial organization to set up an office on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. Emile Chang, Executive Secretary of the Investment Commission under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chen Xing, a department chief under the mainland's Ministry of Commerce, and head of the Department of Economy under the Taiwan Affairs Office Xu Mang jointly unveiled the office plaque. The Association of Economy and Trade Across the Taiwan Straits also plans to be the second mainland industrial and commercial organization to set up a representative office in Taiwan.

7/9  Chairman Lin Join-sane meets Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee You Quan

Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China You Quan led a delegation to Taiwan on July 7 for a five-day "relatives and friends, cooperation and exchange, and joint development visit." The group's northbound itinerary included stops in Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Taipei and Kinmen, among other areas. During a meeting with Secretary You on July 9, SEF Chairman Lin Join-sane said that, in addition to mutual economic and trade benefit, the two sides should jointly work to create industry standards and global brands. He expressed hope that Fujian would serve as a leading example and win global praise for the two sides. He also hoped that Secretary You could give greater attention to unresolved issues related to some Taiwanese investments in the mainland. Secretary You noted that this was his first visit to Taiwan. The mainland is now promoting economic reforms and opening and hoped to create an equitable and highly efficient investment environment. The rights and interests of Taiwan businesses in the mainland will be protected and ways will be found to resolve the difficulties faced by Taiwan businesses.

7/15  Pingtan customs office inaugurated, opening up cross-strait fast track

A customs office opened in Pingtan, Fujian Province. Pingtan is the mainland's biggest special customs supervision zone. The entire island will be opened up under a management model of "first-line loosening, second-line management, separation of people and goods, and classified management" management model. Related preferential policies include free multiple entry and exit by Taiwan vehicles during the provisional license validity period. Pingtan also has opened a small commodity market (the Pingtan Taiwan Product Duty-free Market). This is the second such market in the mainland. The zones will further promote cross-border e-commerce, marine express delivery, vehicle access from Taiwan to Fujian, Taiwan small commodity markets and other business development.

7/16  Mainland GDP expands at 7.5% pace in Q2 

The mainland's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 7.5% over the same period of last year, helped by industrial and fixed investment and consumption growth, showing that the mainland economy has stabilized and is rebounding. Monetary policy will continue small scale  targeted RRR cuts. Financial policy is expected to sustain steady growth in the second half of the year. Additionally, the National Bureau of Statistics announced data showing that the mainland's GDP in the first half of the year was RMB 26.9044 trillion, representing a 7.4% gain calculated at comparable prices. In the first half of the year, tertiary industries grew rapidly to account for 46.6% of total GDP, outpacing gains in primary and secondary industries.

7/17  MAC: Public opinion highly positive on outcome of the second "meeting between the heads of the competent authorities for cross-strait affairs"

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced the results of its latest routine public opinion survey on the visit to Taiwan by Director Zhang Zhijun of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) and the holding of the second meeting between the heads of the competent authorities for cross-strait affairs with MAC Minister Wang Yu-chi in June this year. Nearly 70% (69%) of the public approve regular exchange visits by the MAC minister and TAO director. The majority of the people think this would be conducive to handling cross-strait affairs (63.7%); that official contacts across the Strait are important to the healthy development of cross-strait relations (60.7%); and that the visits help the mainland officials to understand public opinion in Taiwan (54.6%). The MAC stated that, in the future, the government will adhere to the principle of "reciprocity and dignity" in promoting mechanisms for the orderly operation of official interaction between the two sides.

7/18  Taiwan's GDP ranks 27th globally

The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of the Executive Yuan indicated that, according to the World Bank's purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations, Taiwan ranked 106th globally in terms of relative price levels in 2011. The low prices increase purchasing power and boost Taiwan's per person PPP-adjusted GDP to US$39,059, ahead of Japan and Korea and ranking 27th worldwide, up one spot from 2005.

7/18  Sixth Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Roundtable held in Changchun

The Sixth Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Roundtable was held in Changchun, Jilin. Taiwan Strait Tourism Association (TSTA) Chairman David W.J. Hsieh and Chairman Shao Weiqi of the mainland's Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association (CSTEA) co-chaired the meeting. The two sides jointly announced a fourth batch of cities open for mainland tourists to travel independently to Taiwan, effective from August 18, including Harbin, Taiyuan, Nanchang, Guiyang, Dalian, Wuxi, Wenzhou, Zhongshan, Yantai and Zhangzhou. The additions increase the number of mainland cities open to such travel to 36. From June 2011, when mainland tourists were first allowed to travel independently to Taiwan to the end of June this year, there have been more than 1,247,000 such visits in total, or an average of 2,785 travelers per day. The number of independent travelers to Taiwan from the mainland is expected to cross the one million mark this year.

7/22  Chairman Lin meets Jiangxi Provincial Party Secretary Qiang Wei

Jiangxi Provincial Party Secretary Qiang Wei arrived in Taiwan on July 22 for a six-day visit. Secretary Qiang's southbound itinerary included stops in six counties and cities. During the stay, he participated in folk religious activities, economic, trade and cultural promotion activities, and discussions on industrial linkages. SEF Chairman Lin Join-sane welcomed Secretary Qiang during a meeting on July 22. He emphasized that Taiwan is a pluralistic society where people are free to express their views and expressed hope that the review process of the Trade in Services Agreement would not affect normal cross-strait exchanges and cooperation and negotiations on follow-up issues. Secretary Qiang said that Jiangxi has received the largest number of Taiwan-funded enterprises and investments among provinces in central China. Taiwanese-funded enterprises  have become an important engine for Jiangxi's development. The two sides should build economic cooperation and complement strengths to achieve a win-win outcome.

7/22  Chairman Lin Join-sane leads a delegation to Guangdong

SEF Chairman Lin Join-sane led a delegation to visit with Taiwanese businesspeople in Guangdong Province. The six-day trip included stops in Huadu, Huizhuo, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Foshan and Shunde. During the stay, the delegation attended the 24th anniversary of the Shenzhen Taiwan Business Association and 18th anniversary of the Zhaoqing Taiwan Business Association. The group also visited Taiwanese-funded enterprises, and participated in Taiwan business forums to listen to the hopes of Taiwanese businesspeople, publicize the content of the Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement, and encourage mainland-based Taiwan businesses to invest back in Taiwan. During meetings with officials in various places, the delegation also reflected the views of Taiwan businesspeople and sought assistance in resolving the problems encountered by Taiwanese companies.