Taiwan chief negotiator expects early cross-Strait talks

TAIPEI - Taiwan's chief negotiator Lin Join-sane said on Tuesday that the next round of talks on commodity trade and trade disputes would commence at the earliest possible date.

Lin Join-sane, chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), made the remarks at a board meeting of the organization.

The agenda for the tenth round of talks will include a follow up to the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), a dispute settlement mechanism, cross-Strait offices for trade organizations, tariff and taxation cooperation, meteorological and seismic cooperation.

He said both sides are eager to discuss the terms, and both expected an early agreement.

The ECFA is a comprehensive cross-Strait economic pact signed in 2010 to reduce tariffs and commercial barriers between the mainland and Taiwan.

Lin also stressed that preparation for the tenth round was not thwarted by difficulties in the cross-Strait service trade pact.