2010-06-12 15:32

BEIJING - Negotiations on the long-awaited Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have made pronounced progress and are approaching completion, said a Taiwan affairs spokeswoman Saturday.

Fan Liqing, spokeswoman of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference that "the two sides had made consensus on most issues."

She said the mainland side voluntarily provided favorable policies for Taiwan's less competitive industries and small and medium-sized enterprises to enter Chinese mainland market.

She said the third round of expert-level talks, which was expected to be held on June 13 between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), would focus on the main content and clauses of the ECFA, and on goods and service trades in the "early harvest program" as well as follow-up arrangements.

She said the "early harvest" referred to certain goods that could be in the forefront of tax reducations and certain services that could take the lead in opening up after the agreement was signed.

Fan said a high proportion of "early harvest" proposals by the Taiwan side had been adopted by the mainland. The number of such programs might exceed 500.

"No matter in term of total sum or proportion, the Chinese mainland receives far less benefit than the Taiwan side," she said.

On whether the ECFA could be signed by the end of June, she said it required both sides to continue their common efforts.

She reiterated that the Chinese mainland had done its utmost in the negotiations, earnestly performed its duties and reflected its great sincerity and goodwill.