Statistics released by Taiwan authorities show the island's investment in the mainland amounted to 808 million U.S. dollars in the first four months, 9.8 percent up from the same time of last year, and 52.27 percent of the investment was in Jiangsu Province on the delta.

In Zhejiang Province, the authorities approved 105 Taiwan-funded enterprises with a total of contracted volume of 2.65 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter, up 133 and 145 percent than one year earlier, respectively.

The Yangtze River Delta covers Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which have the most developed regional economies and the best investment environment in the country.

Taiwan's investment in south China has been focusing on processing industries, which depend heavily on the region's cheap labor costs and raw materials.

But when it comes to the high-tech sector, Taiwanese investors have chosen the Yangtze River Delta for its rich high-tech human resources and its unique position in exploring the mainland and international markets.

According to statistics, 46 percent of Taiwan's investment in the mainland in the first four months this year went into electronics, as more and more Taiwan enterprises are moving their production lines from Taiwan to the mainland.

Allured by the increasing opportunities in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta, more and more Taiwanese are settling in the area.

It is estimated that about 30,000 Taiwanese are now living in the area and Taiwanese communities have been formed in Shanghai.

(21dnn 07/17/2001)