There is strong potential for Taiwan and China's Guangxi region to cooperate after the formation of a free trade pact between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China (ASEAN plus one) and the inking of a cross- Taiwan Strait trade deal, ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Wu Po-hsiung said Thursday. 'The conclusion of the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) is expected to attract greater Taiwanese investment to Guangxi, which is the prime gateway to China's northwestern and southwestern regions, and particularly to the ASEAN members, ' Wu said during a meeting in Taipei with Guo Shengkun, Communist Party of China Committee Secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Traveling at the head of a delegation of over 1,000 Guangxi officials and business executives, Guo arrived earlier in the day for an official visit. Guo became the first provincial-level Chinese official to visit Taiwan since the ECFA was signed June 29. Describing Guangxi as one of the Chinese regions that will be first to benefit from the ECFA, Guo said he wanted to come to Taiwan quickly in order to grab the first opportunities to collaborate on a wide range of fronts. Since the formation of ASEAN plus one early this year, Guangxi's proximity to these countries has underscored its importance as a strategic springboard for other Chinese provinces seeking to reach them, he said. As Taiwanese companies are more advanced in business management and technology, Guo expressed a desire to learn from Taiwan's advanced expertise in such fields. According to Guo, there are some 1,300 Taiwanese companies operating in Guangxi. As of the end of 2009, Taiwan had contracted investment totaling US$4.96 billion, with US$2.76 billion realized, he said. Shen Ming, deputy chief of Guangxi's Publicity Department, said the Guangxi and Nantou County authorities will discuss in the coming days a project worth over 100 million yuan (US$14.74 million) dubbed the 'Impression of Sun Moon Lake.' The two sides are aiming to make the central Taiwan lake into a stage for the 'landscape impression theater series' -- a world-renowned production by Chinese director Chang Yimou, who uses natural tourism spots as stages for his water theater shows. 