The Seventh Fuzhou Cross-Straits Conference on Economy and Trade, aiming to promote trade across the Taiwan Straits, is due to be held from May 18 to 22 in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, the city's government announced Monday.

The conference, an annual event jointly hosted by Fujian's provincial government and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), will be attended by over 180 enterprises from the mainland, Taiwan and overseas.

Taiwan farm products will be highlighted, with a special Taiwan farm commodities exhibition area containing 30 stands.

The first batch of fruit from Taiwan, which arrived in Fujian on Sunday in the wake of historic visits to the mainland by the chairmen of Kuomintang and People First Party, will be exhibited.

A seminar will also be held on cross-Straits farm commodities trade for agriculture experts to exchange ideas on trade policies and cooperation.

Chiang Hsiao-yen, son of the former leader of Taiwan authorities Chiang Ching-kuo, who arrived yesterday as a guest of the conference, said he was "optimistic" about relations between the mainland and Taiwan.

(China.org.cn by Yuan Fang, May 17, 2005)