PRESS DIGEST-Taiwan - Feb 19

TAIPEI, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Taiwan newspapers carried the following stories on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

CHINA TIMES

-- The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's main China policy maker, plans to loosen restrictions for Chinese nationals to invest in Taiwan's property, Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Hu Sheng-cheng said.

-- Ruling Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh said he would invite Chinese President Hu Jintao to Kinmen, one of Taiwan's offshore islands, for negotiations if he was elected.

UNITED DAILY NEWS

-- The government might allow Taiwan banks to set up branches in mainland China before the presidential elections in March, government sources said.

-- Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said the island should loosen trade restrictions on China investments.

LIBERTY TIMES

-- As of January, more than 100 Taiwanese businessmen in China had returned to Taiwan to invest tens of billions of Taiwan dollars because of rising Chinese labour costs, the state planning commission said.