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Cross-Straits IT forum opens in Chongqing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-27 09:42

CHONGQING  -- The Fifth Cross-Straits IT Industrial Standards Forum opened in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, on Thursday, with an attendance of over 300 people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

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The two-day forum is co-sponsored by the mainland China Electronics Standards Association, China Communications Standards Association and Taiwan's SINOCON Industrial Standards Foundation.

Zheng Lizhong, deputy executive director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, presided over the opening ceremony, and he showed optimism and confidence on the development of the cross-Straits relations and joint efforts to boost the cross-Straits cooperation and exchanges in IT industry.

In his speech, Lou Qinjian, vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, informed the audience of the government's policy to cope with the impacts of the global financial crisis and a special plan to boost the mainland's IT industry.

Lou proposed that the two sides could start talks on possibilities of building an optical fiber cable across the Taiwan Strait.

At the opening session, Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju announced a eight-point preferential policy for Taiwan investors to invest in the city's IT industry.

Steve Chen, chairman of the SINOCON foundation, spoke highly of the mainland's policy to give subsidies for electronic home appliances sold in rural areas, which will also benefit some Taiwan manufacturers.

In a letter to the forum, SINOCON'S honorary chairman Chiang Pin-kun said the mainland and Taiwan should join hands in making common standards for IT industry, so as to promote the IT industry across the strait with the common standards.