Chinese mainland will always represent one of the biggest attractions for Taiwan's investors, John Chang, head of the Taiwan Businessmen Development Promotion Association said yesterday.

Chang's remarks came in a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the two-day Cross-Straits Jinling Forum of Chief Executive Officials (CEOs).

 "The Chinese mainland is developing at an amazing speed,'' Chang said, "which is one of the most important reasons that more and more Taiwan businessmen want to seek their opportunities here.''

 "There is a very big market in the Chinese mainland for Taiwan businessmen, which is another important reason that the trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan is rising all the time,'' Chang said.

He gave statistics which show that cross-Straits trade volume has tripled in the past decade.

Chang also pointed out that relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are becoming closer and closer.

 "For example,'' he said, "ten years ago there were approximately 3,000 telephone calls made every year between the two sides. Now there are 238 million phone calls per year, and the calling time equals almost 182 years.''

Many Taiwan experts and CEOs attending the forum put forward suggestions for improving cross-Straits relations.

 "Colleges and universities in the Chinese mainland should cultivate not only very intelligent students but also highly creative talents,'' said C S Liu, head of Mountain Jade Science and Technology Association of Taiwan.

 "Creativity in business referred to the ability of applying new ideas and strategies in management. Modern talents should be brave, experienced and creative,'' Chang emphasized.

 "And governments should put much more stress on the construction of software than hardware, since in fact it is just the opposite situation in many places of the Chinese mainland,'' Chang added.

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