Taiwan

Election not to change cross-Straits talk agenda

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-15 13:02

BEIJING - The election of Taiwan's leader will not change the schedule of the seventh round of cross-Straits talks, the date of which is yet to be announced, a mainland spokesman said Wednesday.

Related readings:  Taiwan high-speed rail troubled by earth sinking  Taiwan individual travel date confirmed  "Proactive" policy package to benefit Taiwan  Mainland, Taiwan to improve co-op on nuke, food safety

Yang Yi, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a press conference in response to a question regarding whether talks between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan will be postponed due to the election of Taiwan leader early next year.

Negotiators from both sides are mapping out details of agreements that are likely to be signed at the seventh round of talks between the two sides, Yang said.

The Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), two organizations respectively authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-Straits affairs, has held six rounds of talks.

The two organizations resumed talks in 2008 after a nine-year suspension.

During previous talks, the two sides signed a number of agreements that allowed more efficient cross-Straits travel and strengthened economic ties.