Taipei, May 26 (CNA) Taiwan's top mainland affairs negotiator on Wednesday described the exchanges across the Taiwan Strait during the past two years as "fruitful, " but said that there will be a "difficult year" ahead in Taiwan-China negotiations.
In a press conference marking the second anniversary of his inauguration, Chiang Pin-kung, Chairman of the Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF), which is authorized to deal with matters concerning Taiwan's exchanges with China, said that Taiwan maintains a "first the easy, then the difficult" policy in cross-Strait exchanges and it is entering "a tougher year after completion of the easier part of bilateral talks." Taiwan and China have conducted four official negotiations and have signed 12 agreements that cover the launching of direct flights and various cooperation programs since May 2008, when President Ma Ying-jeou took office and resumed cross-strait talks the following month after 15 years of stalemate.
That was the easier part, Chiang said.
The ongoing negotiations on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), an agreement that aims to relax trade restrictions and eliminate or reduce tariffs between the two sides, is the "tougher element of the easier part, " Chiang said.
He did not answer a reporter's question on when Taiwan plans to engage in political talks with China.
President Ma has reiterated that he will not hold political talks with China during his term in office and has said that Taiwan deals with China with an "economy first, politics second" strategy.
While Taiwan has targeted June as the deadline to ink the trade agreement, negotiations over a list of the early harvest items, one of the most crucial and anticipated elements in the framework agreement which designates the export items that will enjoy zero tariff immediately after the deal is signed, was still in the works as both sides differed on what items to put on the list.
Chiang said that he cannot predict the exact dates of the third round of ECFA negotiations and the fifth round of bilateral talks, in which the trade deal and the protection of intellectual property rights will be discussed.
"There will be some gains and sacrifices we have to make in the coming year (this year), " Chiang said.
However, he said, reduced tensions across the Taiwan Strait resulting from the rapprochement approach Ma's administration has adopted toward China, has "made a great contribution to global security as the Taiwan Strait is no longer a flashpoint, " Chiang said.
The veteran politician also expects more Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan next year as more direct flights have been scheduled and the Chinese government has relaxed its travel restrictions in more provinces. (By Chris Wang) enditem/cs