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Mainland, Taiwan experts start talks on long-awaited economic pact

2010-01-26 14:46 BJT

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Experts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan held their first talks here Tuesday to pave the way for a long-awaited pact that is expected to boost cross-Strait economic ties.

Zheng Lizhong (R), executive vice president of the Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), shakes hands with Kao Kung-lian, vice chairman and secretary general of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), during the first expert discussion in talks on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), an economic deal which is expected to boost the cross-Taiwan Straits economic ties, in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2010. (Xinhua/Gao Xueyu)
Zheng Lizhong (R), executive vice president of the Chinese mainland's 
Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), shakes hands 
with Kao Kung-lian, vice chairman and secretary general of Taiwan's Straits 
Exchange Foundation (SEF), during the first expert discussion in talks on 
the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), an economic deal which
is expected to boost the cross-Taiwan Straits economic ties, in Beijing, 
capital of China, Jan. 26, 2010. (Xinhua/Gao Xueyu)

The experts' meeting would prepare for formal discussions on the proposed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) at the next round of talks between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in the first half of this year.

The framework is intended to make systematic arrangements to normalize mainland-Taiwan economic ties and bring the economies of both sides closer.

The first expert discussion is held in talks aimed at paving the way for the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), an economic deal which is expected to boost the cross-Taiwan Straits economic ties, in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2010. (Xinhua/Gao Xueyu)
The first expert discussion is held in talks aimed at paving the way for 
the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), an economic deal which
is expected to boost the cross-Taiwan Straits economic ties, in Beijing, 
capital of China, Jan. 26, 2010. (Xinhua/Gao Xueyu)