Zheng Lizhong (R), executive Vice President of the Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), shakes hands with Kao Koong-lian, Vice Chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), during a preparatory consultation for the fifth round of talks between the ARATS and the SEF, in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality June 28, 2010. Negotiators of the ARATS and the SEF began a preparatory consultation for their fifth round of talks here Monday afternoon, making preparations for signing the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and an agreement on intellectual property rights protection at Tuesday's talks. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)
CHONGQING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Negotiators of the Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) began a preparatory consultation for their fifth round of talks here Monday afternoon.
The ARATS executive Vice President Zheng Lizhong and SEF Vice Chairman Kao Koong-lian attended the consultation.
Zheng said both sides would make "last minute" preparations during the consultation for signing the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and an agreement on intellectual property rights protection at Tuesday's talks.
The ECFA, would "benefit people across the Taiwan Strait, and deepen economic cooperation, draw on each other's advantages, and realize mutual benefits," he said.
"The agreement will also enhance economic competitiveness and vitality of economies on both sides of the Strait," he said.
The inking of the two agreements would "open a new page" for cross-Strait negotiations and cooperation, Zheng said.
