The Chinese mainland will urge businesses to visit Taiwan to discuss investment plans amid efforts to help the island cope with the global economic downturn, the mainland's Taiwan affairs chief Wang Yi said Sunday.

Meanwhile, the mainland will encourage Taiwan businesses to expand their markets on the mainland and take part in the mainland's construction of infrastructure and key projects, said Wang, director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

Wang was speaking at a centerpiece conference of the Straits Forum that opened in the southeastern city of Xiamen on Saturday.

The mainland will expand the buying of Taiwan products, encourage more mainland tourists to visit Taiwan, and promote the plan to set up a cross-Strait economic cooperation mechanism, he said.

The mainland will allow Taiwan law firms to open branches in Fuzhou and Xiamen cities, and beef up agricultural cooperation across the Straits, he said.

"The global financial crisis is affecting both sides of the Straits, and we are concerned about the Taiwan economy and the Taiwan compatriots’ difficulties," Wang said. "We are ready to give all we can to help them out."

In explaining the measures, Wang said the mainland will organize two trips to Taiwan this year to buy fruits, vegetable, aquatic products and processed farm products, and three more trips to buy industrial consumer goods, daily necessities, food and Taiwan craft products.

In promoting cross-Straits tourism, the mainland will try to encourage 600,000 people to visit Taiwan this year, he said.

The mainland is willing to sign an economic cooperation agreement and start consultations as soon as possible, Wang said.

In opening more professional qualification tests to Taiwanese, the mainland plans to add 11 new spheres to the list including statistics, auditing, social workers, land registration agents, environment assessment engineers and company law consultants.

To beef up agricultural cooperation, the mainland will approve the establishment of four more incubators for Taiwan farmers, bringing the total number to 15.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2009)