The World Bank's new chief economist on Friday suggested Taiwan to seize the opportunity of the mainland development for further economic growth.

"I'd like to say that Taiwan would have a better future in economic development if it seizes the opportunity of the mainland development which would last another tens of years," said Justin Yifu Lin, also the World Bank's senior vice president for development economics.

As far as economic development is concerned, "it's necessary Taiwan should take people's interests and benefits into consideration," said Lin on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, to which he is a deputy.

According to him, the reason the Republic of Korea has overtaken Taiwan in economic development over the past few years lies in its efforts to take the opportunity of the Chinese mainland's development.

Taiwan, however, has "missed chances one after another," Lin added.

As an advocate for building a new socialist countryside, Lin said the mainland could learn advanced technology, management and marketing experiences from Taiwan for win-win agricultural cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

"There is much space for agricultural cooperation across the Straits as I think Taiwan has basically built the countryside into what the mainland wants to," he said.

Lin encouraged farmers in Taiwan to come to the mainland for business development like their fellow entrepreneurs, saying that they would find the same large space as those from Taiwan's manufacturing factory.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2008)