A nine-strong delegation of Chinese officials travelled to Taiwan this week to oversee the country's fresh fruit market ahead of an October visit by an official procurement team, according to media reports in the country.
The delegation, which was headed by Fu Xiuquan of China Fruit Marketing Association and made up of experts from Liaoning, Hebei, Jiangsu and Guangxi provinces, visited the Taiwan External TradeDevelopment Council (TAITRA) as part of the trip to discuss joint strategies to explore the global market and bilateral cooperation.
TAITRA officials including chairman Wang Chih-kang expressed uncertainty as to how much fruit the Chinese procurement group will look to purchase, but said that the country was mainly focused on oranges, grapefruit, pineapple and sugar apples.
Mr Chih-kang told eTainews that he hoped the Chinese trade mission would open the doors for high-quality Taiwanese fruit to China, adding that TAITRA would help introduce the country's best suppliers to the procurement group.
He added that the two sides should study the possibility of a joint venture in the international market, harnessing Taiwan's experience in exporting sub-tropical fruit and agricultural products globally.
