Friday, April 15, 2011

Taiwan delegation reportedly to meet China president at Boao forum

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) The Taiwan delegation to the 2011 Boao Forum for Asia was scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao before the opening ceremony Friday in the Chinese province of Hainan, sources said.

Earlier reports had said Hu would not meet with the Taiwan delegation because of his tight schedule. However, sources said later that Hu will meet with the delegation leader Frederick F. Chien and Taiwanese corporate representatives for about 15 minutes before the forum's opening plenary session.

Chien, a senior adviser to the Taipei-based Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation, was appointed by President Ma Ying-jeou as the leader of the 38-member Taiwan delegation to the annual forum, which is being held April 14-16 and is now in its 10th year.

The forum has been described by Vice President Vincent Siew as "one of the important platforms for cross-strait affairs."

Siew's participation in the Boao Forum in 2008, soon after he and Ma won the presidential election, was seen as a breakthrough that kick-started warmer ties across the Taiwan Strait.

This year's meeting is significant for Taiwan and China as it is the first Boao Forum to be held since the two sides signed a historical Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) last June to liberalize cross-strait trade.

Chien will chair an "Across-Straits Business Roundtable" Saturday, which will explore how Taiwanese businesses can tap into the opportunities afforded by China's 12th Five-Year Plan.

Taiwanese business leaders, especially those from the financial sector, will also seek to discuss with their Chinese counterparts how they can develop further cooperation under the terms of the ECFA, which took effect January 1.

The forum will open with a keynote address by President Hu.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, South African President Jacob Zuma, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero are among the heads of state and government leaders scheduled to attend the ceremony.

The forum is being held in Boao, a resort township in the south China province of Hainan.

A meeting of leaders from Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa -- a BRICS summit -- is also being held concurrently in the city of Sanya in Hainan province. (By Eva Feng and Chris Wang) Enditem /pc