Trade between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached US$68.01 billion in the first half of this year, up 23 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Commerce said yesterday.

The mainland's exports to Taiwan reached US$13.08 billion and imports from the island reached US$54.93 billion, up 18.9 percent and 24 percent respectively, the MOC's figures showed.

During the same period, the mainland attracted investment from Taiwan in 1,193 projects, down 31.8 percent, while the actual use of Taiwan investment reached US$1 billion, up 19.9 percent.

As of the end of June 2008, cumulative investment from Taiwan in the mainland totaled US$46.76 billion in 76,339 projects.

The figures date back to 1988, when mainland-Taiwan trade opened up. Taiwan accounted for 5.7 percent of the total overseas investment in the mainland.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2008)