Books published on the Chinese mainland are selling well in Taiwan province and sales are expected to increase dramatically this year, a major dealer of the cross-Taiwan Strait book business said on Sunday.

Zhang Shuyan, general manager of the Center of Books for Overseas Exchanges in Xiamen city, east China's Fujian province, said that the center's sales of mainland books to Taiwan rose sharply in the first eight months to 360,000 volumes worth nine million yuan (US$1.1 million).

He expected 2003 sales to Taiwan via the center would grow by over 200 percent to reach more than 520,000 volumes, worth a combined value of 13 million yuan (US$1.6 million). In 2002, sales via the center were approximately 160,000 volumes, valued at four million yuan (US$482 million).

The center is one of major mainland dealers selling mainland- published books to Taiwan province. Xiamen, where the center is based, is nearest city on the mainland to Taiwan, and the people of Xiamen shared their culture and dialect with natives of Taiwan province.

Zhang said the types of books sold to Taiwan expanded rapidly in the second half of 2002, including those of academics, medicine and health care, pop science, trade and economics, tourism, literature, history, law, teaching materials for higher learning as well as books on natural scenery and social development on the mainland.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2003)