ARATS, SEF chiefs hold talks in Taipei

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-04 09:56

TAIPEI -- The heads of the two main negotiating bodies of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan sat down together in Taipei on Tuesday morning for their first ever summit in Taiwan.

The mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) president, Chen Yunlin, and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) chairman, Chiang Pin-kung, began talks in Taipei.

Chen thanked Taiwan compatriots for their understanding and support for the meeting, which he said was a milestone for the positive development of the cross-strait relationship.

"We feel relieved and honored to help the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relationship and promote the mutual benefits of the compatriots on both sides of the Strait," Chen said.

Chen said that once progress had been made on direct flights, shipping and postal services between the mainland and Taiwan, the ARATS and SEF would discuss financial cooperation and the normalization of economic ties.

In June, the ARATS and the SEF held talks in Beijing and signed two agreements, almost 10 years after the suspension of talks.