CHONGQING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Top negotiators from the mainland and Taiwan said here Tuesday that the long-awaited economic pact across the Taiwan Strait is far from a "one-off" agreement that can settle all problems. The two sides will conduct more consultations after the agreement is signed.
The two sides should conduct follow-up consultations in a timely manner according to the implementation of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) to be signed Tuesday afternoon as well as economic development across the Strait, said Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), in talks with his mainland counterpart Chen Yunlin in Chongqing, on Tuesday morning.
Chen, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), said "the two sides will continue discussing agreements on commodity trade and service trade after the ECFA is signed."
"I hope relevant parties can promote actively the implementation of ECFA after it is signed so as to bring economic benefits for people on both sides at an earlier date," Chen said.
Chen and Chiang started their talks at around 9 a.m. in the mainland city of Chongqing.
They are expected to reach the long-awaited economic pact and an agreement on the protection of intellectual property rights during their talks.
This is the fifth round since the ARATS and the SEF resumed negotiations in June 2008 after an 11-year suspension.
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 in 2008 to meet twice a year on the mainland and Taiwan alternately.
