A Chinese mainland negotiator has called on Taiwanese to respect the authority of a cross-Strait trade pact at the first meeting of the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Committee (ECC) since student protests against the pact in Taiwan.
Zheng Lizhong, executive vice president of the Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), said on Tuesday that the obstruction of cross-Strait negotiations by some Taiwanese should not be allowed to hamper follow-up negotiations over the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed in 2010.
Zheng was speaking at the sixth regular meeting of the ECC, which was attended by a Taiwanese delegation led by Chang Hsien-yao, vice chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).
Students protests against the ECFA began on March 18 and lasted for about a month. The students fear the pact, which aims to open up 80 of the mainland's service sectors to Taiwan and 64 Taiwan sectors to the mainland, could lead to mainland workers taking jobs in Taiwan and mainland investors dominating key local industries like telecommunications and media.
Zheng said the protests have had a negative impact on mutual trust between the ARATS and SEF, the two bodies respectively authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-Strait negotiations and the signing of agreements.
The Chinese mainland will continue its efforts to institutionalize cross-Strait economic cooperation, adopt practical measures to boost cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, and demonstrate its good will and sincerity to seek benefits for people on both sides, according to Zheng.
Chang called on both sides across the Taiwan Strait to cherish the hard-won peace and tackle global economic challenges together.
To cope with the difficulties brought about by regional economic integration, Zheng said, it is imperative for the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to cooperate economically.
He urged negotiators to understand each others' stances when advancing the ECFA follow-up negotiations.
Zheng also called for enhanced communication via the ECC to facilitate industrial cooperation and economic integration between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.