Gov't resolute on ECFA

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou expressed yesterday the government's determined effort to push forward an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China for a better future for Taiwan.

When meeting with a group of outstanding managers, Ma said it will be detrimental to Taiwan's future without the proposed trade pact across the Taiwan Strait.

His statements came after his Kuomintang's (KMT) setback in the just-concluded weekend local elections, which some had interpreted as the result of public discontent with the performance of the Ma administration, and notably among them, concerns over his proposed trade pact with

Ma made it clear that the ECFA issue will not be discussed in the upcoming cross-strait meeting later this month, although the two sides will exchange views on the trade pact after the meeting.

He pointed out that the fourth and latest round of meetings between P.K. Chiang, chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), and Chen Yunlin, president of the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), will mainly focus on four technical issues. The four issues cover fishery cooperation, avoidance of double taxation, examination and certification of standards and the inspection and quarantine of agricultural products for public health


MOU: Memorandum of Understanding

Article Source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan-relations/2009/12/08/235588/Govt-resolute.htm





China.