Taiwan companies have been allowed to invest in China and Taiwan tourists have been welcomed by the Mainland ever since China's open door policy was initiated in later 70s, but Taiwan had not been able to do the same very recently.

With the relationship between Mainland and Taiwan was warmed up since last year, Taiwan is also opening its door to the Mainland.  From July last year to early April, after the two sides agreed to allow mainland tourist groups to travel to Taiwan in June last year, more than 174,000 Mainland tourists have visited Taiwan.  A lot more is expected this year.

Over the weekend, the mainland based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) signed three agreements to replace chartered flights with regular ones, jointly combat crime and boost cooperation in finance.

On the business side, only the Mainland's real estate companies are allowed to enter the island's market at present, under strict conditions.  But that is also changing.  Over the weekend, SEF said Taiwan sincerely welcomes mainland companies and will expand the field for them gradually. The details of the investment regulations will be announced in one to two months.