A forum on agricultural cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan will be held in south China's Hainan Province from Oct. 17 to 18, announced a mainland official on Wednesday.

Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Kuomintang Party, the People First Party and the New Party are expected to attend the forum.

He Shizhong, director of the economic bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council, said at a press conference that about 400 delegates across the Straits will attend the forum in Bo'ao, Hainan Province.

An exhibition on cross-Straits agricultural cooperation will be held in Xiamen, Fujian Province on Oct. 19 and 20, and more than 4,000 delegates will be present including at least 220 members of the Kuomintang, the People First Party and the New Party, roughly 1,450 Taiwan businessmen and more than 2,000 exhibitors from the mainland, according to He.

Taiwan delegates would also be invited to inspect pilot agricultural projects in mainland provinces and regions including Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian, He said.

"Several preferential policies for Taiwan farmers are expected to be made public at or after the forum," He noted.

By the end of last year, more than 5,000 Taiwan agricultural enterprises have invested on the mainland which involves a total investment of four billion U.S. dollars, according to He.

Source: Xinhua