The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday denied a local media report that said Taiwan wanted to hold the next round of cross-strait talks with China earlier than scheduled to expedite the signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).
“How would that be possible?” MAC Vice Chairman Fu Dong-cheng (傅棟成) asked.
He said the two sides have yet to hold a working meeting to pave the way for an official meeting between Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait President Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
“As the accords signed in the previous round of negotiations in April in Nanjing have yet to take effect, how would it be possible for the two sides to discuss the topics planned for the next round of negotiations or agree on the date of the talks at this moment in time?” Fu asked.
An SEF official said the only thing that is sure about the fourth round of talks is that they will be held in Taiwan, but he insisted he had not heard anything about any other details related to the meeting.
Taiwan and China have so far agreed to discuss two-way cooperation on farm produce quarantines, standard product certifications and double taxation issues at the fourth round of talks.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has said that if conditions allow, an ECFA could be signed during the fourth round of cross-strait negotiations.
The Taipei-based Chinese National Federation of Industries published a white paper on Tuesday calling for the early establishment of an ECFA to tackle the formation of a regional trade bloc between ASEAN nations and China next year.
Opposing the proposal, the Democratic Progressive Party and the Taiwan Solidarity Union have started a signature drive, urging the public to sign a petition requesting that the government hold a referendum on signing an economic agreement with China.
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