GUANGZHOU, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum opened Saturday in the southern city of Guangzhou with leading mainland and Taiwan representatives urging deeper economic ties and cooperation in green energy.

This year's forum, a regular event between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) Party, focuses on cross-Strait cooperation in green energy, energy conservation and environmental protection.

Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, said the forum commenced as the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties achieved new progress.

The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), reached between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan in late June, signaled that cross-Strait economic ties had entered a new stage of mutual benefits, he said while addressing the opening ceremony.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said cross-Strait economic cooperation is now facing unprecedented challenges while many opportunities exist as well.

"We should seize the opportunity and set up multi-level economic cooperation in a bid to benefit each other and, at the same time, boost our competitiveness and risk-resistance abilities," Jia said in his speech.

"The mainland is speeding up economic restructuring and boosting independent innovation and domestic demand. Meanwhile, Taiwan is also taking measures to restructure its economy and stimulate development," Jia added.

He noted that cross-Strait economic cooperation still had much room to grow, especially in the science and technology fields.

Jia said the new energy and environmental protection sectors could provide breakthroughs for promoting cross-Strait science and technology innovation.

He hoped businessmen and experts would provide useful proposals regarding cooperation in technology research, intellectual property rights and fostering talent.

More than 400 people from Taiwan and the mainland attended the forum on Saturday and Sunday in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong Province.

The event is the sixth of its kind since the forum was first held in 2006.

KMT honorary chairman Wu Poh-hsiung, leader of the Taiwan delegation, said in his speech that he hoped more voices from the island could be heard during the forum and the delegation's some 200 members from different parties would exchange ideas with mainland delegates.

"We know that many policies will be challenged given the island's political environment. But we are confident that the policies will stand the test of public opinion. Taiwan people should know that we seek to benefit all people in the island," Wu said.

Wu urged participants to come up with good ideas during the two-day forum because proposals and conclusions reached would possibly be adopted by authorities on both sides.

Recalling the time when canon balls flew across the Taiwan Strait, Wu said the positive progress made in recent years between both sides should be "well cherished."

GREEN ENERGY KEY FOR DEVELOPMENT

Top political advisor Jia Qinglin stressed in his speech that emerging industries should be vigorously developed as they could provide low-cost and high-efficiency products.

Green energy was among the six emerging industries that last year Taiwan decided to fast track while the mainland is also planning to strategically develop emerging industries such as biotechnology, information technology and new energy automobiles.

Many participants agreed that the new energy auto industry is a "very promising" one for cross-Strait companies' future cooperation.

"As for the new energy automobile industry, companies from both sides are under great pressure from international competition and regional competition, and face growing demands to reduce vehicle emissions," said Dong Yang, executive vice president of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Dong called for joint research between mainland and Taiwan automakers in generic technology, battery development and basic materials.

Economic expert Gao Hu revealed that companies from both sides were cooperating in the solar photovoltaic and wind energy industries.

He advised deepened cooperation between these companies through technology transfers and by developing common markets.

In a congratulatory letter to the opening of the forum, Lien Chan, also honorary chairman of the KMT, said the mainland and Taiwan should further discuss regional economic cooperation under an unrestricted mechanism in order to boost economic development.

A cultural and educational symposium will also be held at the weekend to review the implementation of joint proposals put forward by delegations from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan during the previous forum.

At the fifth forum, in central China's Changsha City July last year, both sides proposed to deepen information exchanges, enhance conservation of cultural relics, support intercollegiate communications and facilitate Taiwan companies in exploring the mainland market.