BOAO, Hainan: The mainland's proposal to help Taiwan fight the financial crisis was yesterday welcomed by the island's top envoy to the Boao Forum.

"The proposal was greeted enthusiastically by the media. The move reflects the mainland's goodwill toward Taiwan," Fredrick Chien, former "foreign minister" of the island, told China Daily on the sidelines of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference this year, which ended yesterday.

"I believe it will help our economy recover from the damage of the financial crisis," Chien said. The theme of this year's event was "Asia: Managing Beyond Crisis".