Trade pact with China will not be negotiated in coming talks

Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Lai Shin-yuan told the Legislative Yuan, however, that Taiwan's top negotiator -- Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) -- is expected to agree with his Chinese counterpart, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) President Chen Yunlin, on possible talks on the signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement in their fifth round of talks.

Out of respect for the legislature's power to supervise the executive branch, Lai said, the MAC will brief the legislature thoroughly on the negotiations upon the request of the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Huang Yu-tsai, deputy chief of the Council of Agriculture, assured the legislature that Taiwan will not relax its animal and plant health inspection and quarantine regulations to accommodate Chinese products following a proposed agricultural agreement with China.

Huang said the agreement, which is expected to be concluded during the upcoming Chiang-Chen meeting, is meant to bring the regulations of both sides into balance and to oblige China to inform Taiwan of any disease outbreaks there.

Lai and Huang made the remarks separately but almost at the same time when the SEF announced in Taipei the details of Chen's Dec. 21-25 visit for the negotiations that will take place in Taichung City, central Taiwan.

The negotiations will take place Dec. 22-23, after which Chen's delegation will tour central Taiwan.

The SEF said in a press release that the details were finalized by SEF Vice Chairman Kao Koong-lian and Chinese officials in Fuzhou, southern China, earlier that day.

A Chinese delegation, led by ARATS Vice President Zheng Lizhong, will arrive in Taiwan Dec. 18 to make the final arrangements for Chen's visit.

In response to the announcement, several pro-independence groups promised to stage the largest demonstration ever seen in Taichung to greet the Chinese delegation.

The protest is designed to show disapproval of President Ma Ying-jeou's policy of reconciling with China, said former Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen, who is one of the organizers.

Lin Yi-cheng, another of the organizers, said he and his followers will rally and protest wherever the Chinese delegation goes during its stay in Taiwan.

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