The palladium(O)-catalyzed polycondensation of bis-trimethylsilylethynylated compounds with diiodoarenes to give the polymers bearing arylene-ethynylene moieties is carried out by the use of silver(I) oxide as an activator. Polycondensation of bifunctional terminal alkynes and aryl halides is also accomplished by the palladium-catalyzed cross coupling in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH), tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF), or silver(I) oxide.