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Updated Thursday, June 25, 2009 9:46 am TWN, The China Post news staff

Cross-strait talks on ECFA may start in October: Yiin

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Economic Minister Yiin Chii-ming said yesterday that both sides of the Taiwan Straits may kick off negotiations on the signing of the proposed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in October at the earliest.

Yiin said that both sides will complete their respective research on the proposed ECFA by the end of June, and will then conduct joint research on the issue within a period of three months, before starting official negotiations on the inking of the pact.

The minister reiterated that the Chunghua Institution for Economic Research will release its study report on the ECFA issue by the end of June as scheduled. The institution has been commissioned by the economics ministry to study the issue.

Earlier, Yiin stressed that his ministry is in charge of promoting the signing of ECFA, and will discuss only economic affairs and won't touch on the sovereignty, independence or unification issues.

Meanwhile, officials with the Ministry of Economic Affairs also noted that ECFA is different from CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) signed between Hong Kong and mainland China, in that ECFA involves no political issues such as sovereignty, and that Taiwan won't abandon the right to demand trade relief measures.

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