Taiwan's chief negotiator on cross-strait relations Friday expressed the hope that the upcoming third round of cross-strait talks could bear "substantial fruits".
Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the island's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), said at a press conference that his mainland trip is one of "cooperation and win-win results".
Chiang is to leave Taipei for Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, on Saturday morning to attend talks with the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) president Chen Yunlin, the third round of talks between them in less than a year. The talks will be held on Sunday.
Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), speaks during a news conference on the upcoming talks between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based SEF, in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan Province, on April 24, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yong) He hoped he could fulfil his mission smoothly and seek interests for Taiwan compatriots.
During the upcoming talks, the two sides would review the six agreements reached between the two sides since last June, fix the wording of three agreements to be signed, and exchange views on mainland investment in Taiwan. They will also discuss the agenda for the fourth round of talks to be held in the latter half year on the island, according to Chiang.
The agreements expected to be signed will focus on regular cross-strait flights, joint efforts on cracking down on crime, and financial cooperation, he said.
Regular flights would ease the current shortage of cross-strait flights by increasing the number of both flights and terminals, while judicial cooperation would be conducive to safeguarding social security on both sides as well as tackling criminal cases involving both sides of the strait, he said.
Financial cooperation would help the two sides to jointly cope with the impact brought by the international financial turmoil, and the mainland investment in Taiwan could inject fresh capital for the island and create more jobs, he added.
Chiang said the six agreements already signed had not only realized the historic direct links of transport and postal services, but set down principles for negotiations between the two sides -- that is, applying a practical and gradual approach of economy before politics and putting the easy problems before the difficult ones.
Founded in 1991 and 1990 respectively, the ARATS and SEF were authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-strait exchanges. The two organizations agreed to meet twice a year in the mainland and Taiwan in turn, after cross-strait negotiations resumed last June following an almost 10-year suspension.
During the previous two talks, the ARATS and SEF leaders signed agreements on weekend charter flights, tourism, direct shipping, air transport, postal services and food safety.
Source: Xinhua
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