Mainland, Taiwan start 2nd talks on economic pact
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Experts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan Wednesday started their second round of talks in Taipei to pave the way for a long-awaited economic deal that is expected to boost cross-Straits economic ties.
The two-day meeting in Tashi, Taoyuan county, is expected to speed up the consultation process of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), which is intended to normalize mainland-Taiwan economic ties and bring the two economies closer.
The two sides are expected to exchange views on operational and technological topics including the main content of the agreement and consultation arrangements in the future.
The mainland side is composed of directors of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), experts and economic affairs officials.
Tang Wei, director-general of the Ministry of Commerce's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao affairs department, said such an agreement would further cross-Straits economic cooperation, and help the two sides cope with the impact of possible economic crises in the future and the increasingly competitive international market.
"Taiwan compatriots' concerns will be fully considered," he said.
The expert-level meeting focuses on preparing the framework for formal ECFA discussions at the next round of talks between ARATS and its Taiwan counterpart, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), to take place in the first half of this year.
The first round of expert talks was held in January.
The mainland has said the two sides should work together to complete the pact in June.
