ECFA Talk Kicks Off to a Good Start

Taipei, Jan. 27, 2010 (CENS)--In view of the good atmosphere in the first talk on cross-Taiwan Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in Beijing yesterday (Jan. 26), Taiwan and China may sign the agreement in May, said Kao Koong-lian, vice chairman of Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

Upon the opening of the talk, Kao expressed overtly Taiwan's basic stance for the agreement, no further import liberalization for agricultural products from China and the consideration of difference in the scales of both sides' economies in determining market opening measures.

Zheng Lizhong, vice chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), expressed understanding of Taiwan's stance, saying that China will fully consider and make proper response to Taiwan people's wish and requests in the talk on the agreement. He added that China will stick to a positive and open-minded stance to any proposal, so long as it is conducive to the common wellbeing of peoples on the two sides of the Strait and peaceful development of cross-Strait relationship.

Zheng, however, remained noncommittal to the Kao's proposal. In addition, during the talk, Chinese representatives requested Taiwan to remove the existing discriminatory treatment against Chinese agricultural and industrial products, saying that Chinese goods should enjoy treatments similar to other WTO (World Trade Organization) members in entering the Taiwanese market.

The first talk on the agreement, which lasted only one day, is essentially a preparation for the next talk in Taipei, which will touch on substantial issues for the agreement. Therefore, representatives from both sides exchanged yesterday massive data on customs rules concerning the tariff rates and code numbers for products on the early-harvest lists, proposed by both sides.

Both sides also agreed to carry on the subsequent talks under the framework of six sections, including merchandise trade, service trade, rules on the place of origin, trade remedy and dispute settlement, investment and economic cooperation, and the general issue.