The first-ever cross-Straits arbitration center, The Arbitration Center Across the Straits, establishes in Pingtan County, southeast China’s Fujian Province on December 29, 2015. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The first-ever cross-Straits arbitration center has been established in Fujian Province, southeastern China.

The center will mainly focus on resolving civil and commercial contract and property rights disputes involving people across the Taiwan Straits.

Jin Jixian, a businessman from Taiwan, says establishing such a center will better enhance the business ties between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan:

"Because people living on the island of Taiwan are not familiar with the laws on the Chinese mainland, they prefer to go back to Taiwan to file for legal arbitration. Now, the cross-Straits arbitration center is established to resolve disputes in an 'open, just and fair' manner, and I think it is a very good thing that the protection of the interests of the Taiwan businessmen has been raised to a higher level."

One quarter of the 220 arbitrators in the center are said to be from Taiwan.

Official stats show that the trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan has reached 150 billion U.S. dollars in the first ten months of this year.

The investment from Taiwan businessmen on the Chinese mainland has also seen a rise of nearly 21 percent year-on-year.