Four new China pacts

Both the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) announced yesterday that President Chen Yunlin of the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) will lead the Chinese delegation for negotiations and tours in central Taiwan Dec. 21-25.

Preparatory negotiations on the cross-strait pacts regarding fishing crew cooperation, agricultural quarantine inspection, industrial product standards, inspection and certification, and the avoidance of double taxation were concluded.

The SEF said that details of the four agreements were finalized by SEF Vice Chairman Kao Koong-lian and Chinese officials in Fuzhou of Fujian Province in southeastern China, yesterday morning.

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

SEF Chairman P.K. Chiang and Chen are scheduled to formally ink the pacts on Dec. 22.

A seminar encouraging Chinese investment in Taiwan will be held on Dec. 23 on the sidelines of the talks. Chen and his delegation will then tour Taichung's peripheral areas, including the popular tourist attraction of Sun Moon Lake, before returning to Beijing on Dec. 25.

According to MAC Vice Chairman Liu Te-shun, there are no arrangements for Chen to attend banquets hosted by political parties or businessmen during his visit except a dinner to be hosted by Taichung Mayor Jason Hu.

However, MAC Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan will meet Chen on Dec. 22 in Taichung, Liu said.

Chao Chien-min, another MAC vice chairman, said there are no plans by the Taichung City government to designate a protest zone during the talks.

The pro-independence opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has decided to hold a demonstration in Taichung on Dec. 20 to voice objections to the proposed signing of an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China.

More than 10 pro-DPP groups in central Taiwan said they will also hold protests during Chen's visit.

Lai told lawmakers that the top negotiators of both sides will exchange views on the agenda for their next meeting, known as the fifth round of talks, and will possibly touch on the proposal of starting formal talks on the ECFA issues.

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

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