BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland has decided to buy 300 ton Taiwan bananas that have been selling sluggishly as an effort to ease the situation.

    The Beijing Fruit Co. Ltd, Shanghai Fruit Co. Ltd and Chaoda Modern Agriculture Ltd. under the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives signed an agreement here Saturday with Taiwan Provincial Farmers Association and the Taiwan Provincial Fruit Marketing Cooperative to buy a first batch of 300 ton bananas from Taiwan.

    The move came after Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made a promise last Thursday that the mainland will buy more bananas from Taiwan.

    Chen saw off Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan at the airport of Xiamen in East China's Fujian Province, who was there for a trade fair showcasing progress in across-Strait agricultural cooperation.

    Lien learned that the bananas from Taiwan had suffered sluggish sales. Farmers cross the strait were worried about an over-abundant harvest this year and hoped the CPC and KMT would work through their platform to solve the problem.

    Early in June, the Chinese mainland bought 200 ton surplus bananas from Taiwan and received applause from Taiwan farmers.