4 pacts significant: Chen

Chen also expressed a strong wish to visit the victims devastated by floods in southern Taiwan in August.

He said people in Taiwan selflessly provided assistance to earthquake victims of Sichuan Province in China and mainland people also contributed money and materials for flood victims on the island.

While accompanying SEF Chairman Chiang on a trip to Sichuan in July for a first-hand understanding of the post-quake reconstruction work, Chen said he was deeply moved by the appreciation to Taiwan expressed by victims to Chiang.

Chen said his biggest wish for the forthcoming trip is to personally relay concerns to the flood victims to Taiwan on behalf of the mainland people.

Advance Team

A 20-member Chinese advance team, led by ARATS Vice President Zheng Lizhong, arrived in Taiwan yesterday to make the final arrangements for the meeting of the top negotiators from the two sides.

The DPP has been organizing mass anti-China demonstrations and rallies set to take place in the coming week to harass and disrupt the latest round of talks.

Lai Shin-yuan, chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said the government highly respects freedom of speech expressed in a legitimate manner.

She expressed the hope that consensus can be reached in Taiwan society over controversial issues arising ahead of Taiwan and China's new round of talks.

Lai said the meeting has again attracted worldwide attention with more than 500 journalists from various media organizations in Taiwan, China, and foreign nations having registered to cover the event.

Previous similar round of talks in Taipei sparked fierce protests from the DPP and other pro-independence activists who accused the government headed by the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party of leaning toward China.

Lai urged all sectors within Taiwan to rationally and realistically look at the negotiations between Taiwan and China, while calling for people to back the government's efforts.

She said she hopes that the new round of talks will be a new starting point for reaching consensus at home.

Opponents however will target the government's plans to eventually sign a controversial trade agreement with China, saying it will flood Taiwan with cheaper Chinese products, cause job losses and ultimately hurt Taiwan's sovereignty.

The government is determined to push forward the ECFA in an aim to normalize Taiwan's trade relations with China and other major trade partners in Southeast Asia so that Taiwan enterprises' competitiveness will not be eclipsed by tariff barriers.

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