Cross-Strait trade down 15.4 percent in Jan.-Feb.

Trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan reached 22.9 billion U.S. dollars in the first two months of 2016, down 15.4 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Friday.

Mainland exports to Taiwan were 5.6 billion US dollars in January and February, a 11.5 percent year-on-year drop, while the island's exports to mainland grossed 17.3 billion U.S. dollars.

Taiwan is currently the seventh largest trading partner of the Chinese mainland.

A total of 408 projects funded wholly or partly with Taiwanese funds were approved on the mainland in the first two months, up 19.7 percent.

Chinese mainland has 95,706 Taiwan-backed projects. Mainland actual use of Taiwanese capital stands at 63.1 million U.S. dollars, 3.8 percent of the total overseas capital.