An influential mainland-based research center on relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan said Thursday it plans to host a forum on the cross-strait relations during July 28-30 in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

Elite industrialists, noted economists and experts on cross-strait relations from the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and overseas Chinese experts have been invited to the forum, whose major theme is cross-strait relations and economic and trade exchanges.

Leading officials from the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council will attend the forum.

Organizers say reporters from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas are welcome for the coverage of the forum.

Cross-strait political relations have been strained due to activities by leaders of Taiwan authorities aiming at separate Taiwan from China, while economic and trade ties between the mainland and Taiwan are booming.

Taiwan businessmen have invested tens of billions of US dollars in the mainland in the past two decades, and the mainland has been a major source of its trade surplus for Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2004)