China says to buy more Taiwan goods to help economy

BEIJING, June 10 - China said on Wednesday it will send more delegations to Taiwan to buy goods as a way of helping the self-governing island's export-dependent economy, which has been battered by the global financial crisis.

Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said a visit by representatives from 35 Chinese firms earlier this month resulted in deals worth more than $2.2 billion, covering computers, LCD screens, chemicals and textiles.

"This is the mainland's way of helping Taiwan overcome the unfortunate effects of the international financial crisis and a positive way of helping them overcome economic difficulties," Fan told a regular news briefing.

Taiwan's economy contracted at a record pace of more than 10 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, keeping the economy deep in recession as exports demand slumped globally.

Exports in May fell by almost a third from a year earlier, but the fall was slightly less than expected as a slump in demand from the island's major trading partners showed tentative signs of easing.

May exports totalled $16.17 billion and imports were $13.01 billion, leaving a trade surplus of $3.17 billion.

China exports dropped 30.0 percent from a year earlier, a modest improvement from a 33.6 percent fall in April's data.

Beijing has pledged to help the island, despite past political tensions.

China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's KMT fled to Taiwan.

Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary, but tensions have eased over the past year since China-friendly Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou took office and signed a series of trade and tourism deals.