Xi welcomes more Taiwan business to tap into mainland

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L, front) greets tourists after he boards a ferry that is about to leave for southeast China's Taiwan at the Pingtan Strait Ferry Terminal in Pingtan, southeast China's Fujian Province, Nov. 1, 2014. Xi made an inspection tour to southeast China's Fujian Province on Nov. 1 and 2. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the pilot development zone in Pingtan in southeast China's Fujian Province over the weekend, during which he championed the flow of Taiwan's products to the mainland.

The pilot zone was established in 2009 to improve cross-Strait business cooperation.

During his visit Xi urged local officials to continue to be innovative and to preserve the healthy cross-Strait business and industrial cooperation environment.

Xi visited a local factory affiliated to TPK, a touch solution provider from Taiwan, where a meeting with Taiwanese entrepreneurs was held.

He said during the meeting that "the mainland has a large population, a broad market and a wide scope of industries, thus, it is big enough for Taiwan products and enterprises".

Xi said he hoped the entrepreneurs would continue to contribute to the economic cooperation and peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

He also boarded a ferry that was about to leave for Taiwan, greeting tourists and encouraging them to take more cross-Strait trips to improve mutual relations.