BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland's deepened reform and wider opening-up will provide Taiwan compatriots and enterprises with more opportunities and benefits, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a press conference when introducing the participation of Taiwan companies at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai last week.

Enterprises from the mainland and Taiwan signed a batch of purchase agreements, indicating the huge potential in cross-Strait business cooperation, Ma said, adding that Taiwan companies and their products are widely welcomed at the expo.

The Taiwan exhibition area showcased the achievements of cross-Strait business cooperation over the 40 years of reform and opening up.

A number of Taiwan enterprises have already signed up for next year's import expo, according to Ma.

The CIIE, the first of its kind in China, attracted representatives from 172 countries, regions, and international organizations and more than 3,600 enterprises.