Taiwan, China to hold high-level talks in December

Oct 14, 2009, 5:28 GMT

   Taipei - Taiwan and China plan to hold another round of high-level talks in December to sign four pacts on expanding trade ties, officials said Wednesday.

    The dialogue is to be held in mid- or late December in Taichung City in central Taiwan, said the Straits Exchange Foundation, the semi-official Taiwan agency that handles ties with China in the absence of formal relations between Taipei and Beijing.

   The two negotiators - foundation Secretary General Chiang Ping-kun and Chen Yunlin, chairman of the foundation's Chinese counterpart, the Association of Relations Across the Taiwan Straits - are to sign four pacts: on fishing cooperation, farm product quarantines and inspections, adoption of the same inspection standards and prevention of double taxation.

   The advance teams from Taiwan and China met in Hangzhou, China, Tuesday to prepare for the upcoming dialogue in Taichung, the foundation said.

   'Personnel from departments concerned are drafting the four pacts in Hangzhou,' the foundation said in a statement. 'We hope to finish the drafting in time for the dialogue.'

   The Taichung dialogue is to also discuss the possibility of signing an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, a pact similar to a free-trade agreement, said Liu Teh-shun, spokesman for the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's highest body on cross-strait ties.

   The Taichung dialogue is to be the fourth dialogue held between Taipei and Beijing since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May 2008.

   During the previous talks, Taipei and Beijing signed pacts on opening sea, air and postal links and on food safety.