Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), said that he envisions the eventual signing of a cross-strait comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) to enhance bilateral trade.

The promotion of a CECA is aimed at avoiding the fate of being marginalized, Chiang said, adding that the normalization of cross-strait trade will help create mutually beneficial economic development.

He also said he hoped to sign a cross-strait peace agreement to lay a solid basis for lasting peace.

"We should seize the opportunity now lest it be lost forever," he said.

In terms of substantive measures, Chiang said that think tanks on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will forge a consensus on an agenda and work out proposals for the reference of the governments.

"When the time is ripe, two groups will be established to study and promote the proposed CECA and cross-strait peace agreement," he added.

Chiang noted that the SEF and its mainland counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, resumed dialogue last month after a hiatus of nearly a decade.

The talks led to an agreement on the launch of nonstop weekend cross-strait charter flights and an expansion the number of Chinese tourists allowed to visit Taiwan this month, Chiang added. He said that the next round of talks between the two sides will deal with an increased number of weekend charter flights, the opening of more flight destinations and more direct flight routes.

In addition, he said that the two semi-official bodies will discuss cross-strait cargo charter flights, direct cross-strait shipping links and the expansion of passenger and cargo links between Taiwan's outlying islands and China's Fujian province.

Both sides will also promote exchanges and cooperation on research on climate change and weather as well as the prevention of earthquake disasters, he said.

Chiang said that issues on the agenda will also include the establishment of a monitoring and cooperation mechanism for bilateral banking institutions and related issues, negotiations on standard product specification and tests and exchanges and cooperation between industry talents across the Taiwan Strait.

Other issues up for discussion include the signing of an investment guarantee agreement, avoidance of double taxation agreement and a mechanism to resolve cross-strait fishery disputes, he added.