(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-21 22:44

BEIJING  -- Trade between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached 43.91 billion US dollars in the first four months of this year, up 21.7 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Wednesday.

The mainland's exports to Taiwan reached 8.17 billion US dollars and imports from the island reached 35.74 billion US dollars, up 16.9 percent and 22.8 percent, respectively. the MOC's figures showed.

During the same period, the mainland attracted investment from Taiwan in 731 projects, down 36.9 percent, while the actual use of Taiwan investment reached 650 million US dollars, up 29.6 percent.

As of the end of April 2008, cumulative investment from Taiwan in the mainland totaled 46.41 billion US dollars in 75,877 projects. The figures date back to 1988, when mainland-Taiwan trade opened up.

Trade between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reached 62.98 billion US dollars in the first four months of 2008, up 9.3 percent year-on-year, statistics from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) showed.

The mainland's exports to the HKSAR reached 58.57 billion US dollars, and imports from the HKSAR reached 4.41 billion US dollars, up 8.5 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively, according to the MOC.

The mainland attracted direct investment from the HKSAR in 4,548 projects, up 6.7 percent, and the actual use of Hong Kong direct investment reached 15.1 billion US dollars, up 113.7 percent.

As of the end of April 2008, direct investment of the HKSAR in the mainland totaled 323.64 billion US dollars in 290,311 projects.

The figures are cumulative, dating back to 1978, which marked the opening up of trade between the mainland and Hong Kong.

Trade between China's mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) reached 630 million US dollars in the first quarter of 2008, a 2-percent rise year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

The mainland's exports to Macao totaled 570 million US dollars, up 2.8 percent, while imports from Macao fell 4.3 percent to 60 million US dollars, the ministry said.

The mainland attracted direct investment from the MSAR in 99 projects in the first three months, down 44.7 percent, and the actual use of Macao direct investment reached 200 million US dollars, up 18.6 percent year-on-year.

As of the end of March 2008, direct investment of the MSAR in the mainland totaled 7.86 billion US dollars in 11,652 projects. These figures are cumulative since 1978, the year of the opening up of trade between the mainland and Macao.

The actual use of the MSAR's direct investment in the mainland accounted for 1 percent of all actually used direct investment from outside the Chinese mainland.