The deputy chairman of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) arrived in Taipei yesterday to finalize an “early harvest” list in a meeting today at the Grand Hotel in Taipei.
Zheng Lizhong (鄭立中) and Straits Exchange Foundation Vice Chairman Kao Koong-lian (高孔廉) are scheduled to discuss the early harvest list and an agreement on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection.
They will also finalize the time and place of next week’s meeting between Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and ARATS Chairman Chen Yunling (陳雲林).
The government’s proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China is scheduled to be signed during the Chiang-Chen meeting.
Chiang expressed his optimism about the negotiations on the early harvest list at a press conference yesterday.
He also said his meeting with Chen should take place in Chongqing, China, from Monday to Wednesday next week.
“I think Taiwan should be able to get more items on the list ... the content of the list and the time and location of the cross-strait talks will be announced today,” he said, declining to confirm whether the proposed ECFA would be signed next Tuesday.
The early harvest lists refer to goods and services that will be subject to immediate tariff concessions or exemptions, which are expected to form the backbone of the proposed cross-strait deal.
Both countries have reached a consensus to include more than 500 items on Taiwan’s early harvest list — including petrochemicals, machinery, auto parts and textile industries — as well as more than 200 on China’s list.
Chiang said the two sides would continue their negotiations about opening up cross-strait trade in more items after the proposed ECFA is signed.
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