Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan and his entourage visited a Taiwan fruit market in Xiamen Thursday morning before they left the port city that faces Taiwan across the Strait.

Lien took a close look at the Taiwan-grown fruits on sale and chatted with some vendors in southern Fujian dialect, the prevalent dialect on the Taiwan Island. He smiled when the vendors told him Taiwan fruit sell well on the mainland market.

At the end of his visit, Lien wrote an inscription for the market, which is designed to cover 90,000 square meters on Yanye Road in Huli District.

The market has drawn more than 100 Taiwanese fruit vendors since it opened on April 8.

In its latest move to promote trade and economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, the mainland announced 15 new policies to benefit Taiwan compatriots at a cross-Strait economic and tradeforum on April 14-15.

The preferential policies, announced by Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC)Central Committee, include free refrigerating and storage services for Taiwan fruit vendors at the new market as well as exemption of one year's rent.

Lien Chan arrived in Fujian on Monday evening after attending the cross-Strait economic and trade forum in Beijing. He also met with Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, during his stay in Beijing.

On Wednesday, he worshipped his ancestors in Maqi Village in the city of Zhangzhou, and received an honorary doctor's degree from Xiamen University.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2006)