Taiwan investment not to be marginalized: Premier

BEIJING - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday Taiwanese-invested businesses in the mainland will not be marginalized by the economic restructuring of the mainland.

Wen told a press conference that the mainland's efforts to transform its economic growth pattern would create better investment environment and bring more favorable opportunities to Taiwan companies.

"They will enjoy a greater potential for development," he said in response to a question concerning worries in Taiwan that the mainland economy's shift to a more environment-friendly pattern could adversely affect some Taiwanese-invested businesses that are mainly labor- and resource-intensive.

The mainland has become a major destination of Taiwan investment, with nine percent of total overseas investment in the mainland coming from the island, he said.

Wen said the cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement's (ECFA's) "early harvest" program has brought positive results since it took effect on January 1.

Noting the existence of problems in ECFA's implementation, Wen pledged to push forward further negotiations of ECFA in a gradual way.