Mainland, Taiwan to boost industrial cooperation

Negotiators from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have reached a consensus on measures to boost cross-Strait industrial cooperation.  The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) revealed the consensus in a joint statement issued during their seventh round of talks held Thursday in the northern port city of Tianjin.  According to the consensus, both sides will carry out cooperative projects in the sectors of LED lighting, wireless city, cold-chain logistics, thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) and electric vehicles.  The two sides also agreed to make further efforts to improve the investment environment, extend the range of industrial cooperation and promote innovation and competitiveness, the statement quoted by the Chinese News Agency (Xinhua) said.  They also promised to promote major cooperative projects and give support to the development of small and medium-sized businesses in order to create more jobs for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.  Moreover, the statement said the two sides have agreed to hold forums on cross-Strait industrial cooperation on a regular basis.