Cross-Straits CEO Summit in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

The two-day 2023 Cross-Straits CEO Summit for entrepreneurs from both sides of the Taiwan Straits concluded in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday, with some key industry deals finalized and new plans ahead. 

Participants deemed the event highly successful in enhancing business connectivity between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan island. They expressed strong willingness to foster closer cooperation involving supply chains in the face of external uncertainties.

At the summit summary on Wednesday, presidents of the summit's mainland-based and Taiwan-based councils jointly proposed to further deepen cross-Straits industry and supply chain cooperation, and a working group will be formed by both sides to negotiate and develop plans to advance them.

Specifically, the mainland will provide more policy support to enterprises from Taiwan, including promoting exchanges between enterprises from the region and mainland state-owned enterprises in key industrial areas, and actively promoting the implementation of more cooperative projects to land on the ground.

At the summit, five mainland companies and five island-based firms signed Memorandums of Understanding, spanning diverse sectors such as vehicle manufacturing and solar photovoltaic products. This marked a notable collaboration highlight, emphasizing the imperative for a more integrated supply chain.

In addition to signing deals at the two-day forum, companies from Taiwan island equally cherished this valuable opportunity to communicate with local governments and enterprises in the mainland, paving the way for their long-term investment and development in the mainland.

Lu Pen-Chin, president of the Taiwan Compatriot Investment Enterprises Association of Changzhou, has been participating in this summit since 2013. According to Lu, the scale of the summit has been growing, highlighting the increasing importance of enhancing cooperation between enterprises from Taiwan and the mainland.

"In this summit, our focus is on how Taiwan enterprises can keep pace with mainland policies in the process of integration and foster mutual prosperity," Lu said.

In the current world, which is filled with uncertainty, the national emphasis on high-quality development aligns with the common aspirations of businesses on both sides.

We hold a high affirmation and expectation for peaceful development across the Taiwan Straits, Lu said.

This summit promotes close cooperation between the two sides, which is undoubtedly beneficial for the economic development of the mainland and Taiwan island, Su Bo, a member of the summit council, who is also the former vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"Regardless of Taiwan's future path, economic collaboration between our two sides is advantageous for the well-being of people on both sides, which is motivating us to move forward," Su said.