East China's coastal Zhejiang Province has conducted active cross-strait exchanges with Taiwan over the past years, with personnel exchanges reaching a record high in 2002.

Statistics showed that last year more than 3,200 Zhejiang locals from sectors including entertainment, publishing, media and education visited Taiwan.

Meanwhile, a record more than 500,000 Taiwan residents visited Zhejiang. The figure is expected to further increase this year, according to predictions by local authorities.

Early last year, nine publishing houses of the province jointly organized a book show in Taiwan, which attracted dozens of Taiwan counterparts for business cooperation. Copyright trading transactions were concluded over 38 publications by the end of the event.

Zhejiang art troupes specializing in local performing arts visit Taiwan almost every year and enjoy a large number of fans there.

Cooperation between the two places on education has also been active. According to local education departments, many top universities from both sides have set up academic exchanges.

The number of Taiwan students seeking higher education in Zhejiang has also been rising, with noted local institutes like Zhejiang University and Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine among the most favored.

Zhejiang will further improve the investment environment in a bid to encourage more investment from Taiwan, a local official said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2003)