Mainland, Taiwan agree to enhance ties

Special Report:3rd round of cross-strait talk

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The chief negotiators are already looking at new possibilities aimed at enhancing ties between the mainland and Taiwan.

Themainland-basedAssociationforRelationsAcrossthe
TaiwanStraits(ARATS)PresidentChenYunlin(R,Front)and
theTaiwan-basedStraitsExchangeFoundation(SEF)Chairman
ChiangPin-kung(L,Front)signagreementsatasigning
ceremony"inNanjing,eastChina'sJiangsuProvince,on
April26,2009.

Another milestone in relations across the Taiwan Straits. Whenever Chen Yunlin meets Chiang Pin-kung, people on the mainland and Taiwan expect new impetus for economic development and also for their personal benefit. Amid the global financial crisis, the chief mainland negotiator called on both sides to join hands to overcome the current difficulties and create a win-win situation.

The mainland announced that it would promote companies to invest in Taiwan as soon as the island authorities allow such investment. And the mainland will also increase its purchase of Taiwan products, as well as encourage more Taiwan investment in the mainland.

The mainland also acknowledged that both sides need to achieve a more institutionalized mechanism or framework for their economic cooperation. Representatives agree that their new agreements and consensus will improve the environment for investment on both sides. They add that the developments would also enhance more contacts between individuals and protect their rights, aswell as laying a solid foundation to improve the peaceful development of ties.

Chinese mainland, HK sign further expanded economic agreement

HONG KONG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese central government and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region signed on Saturday the sixth supplement to an important trade agreement to give Hong Kong firms greater and easier access to the mainland market for tourism, securities and banking services, among others.

The Supplement VI to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) was signed by John Tsang, financial secretary of the HKSAR government, and the central government's Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Zengwei in Hong Kong at a ceremony witnessed by HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang.

Speaking at the ceremony, Donald Tsang said the supplement agreement will introduce 29 measures that will build on the liberalization of 20 services sectors and open two more sectors of research and development and rail transport to Hong Kong businesses.

The total number of services sectors covered by the CEPA and its supplements will thereby be expanded from 40 to 42, Jiang said. Under the agreements, the mainland has agreed to exempt tariffs for all products of Hong Kong origin and allow preferential treatment to Hong Kong service suppliers in the service sectors.

The new measures will take effect on Oct. 1, 2009, three months earlier than usual, to allow the trade to enjoy the benefits earlier, Jiang said at the ceremony.

Donald Tsang welcomed the agreement, saying that the new measures will be mutually beneficial and help mitigate the impacts of the ongoing economic downturn.

Under the new agreement, mainland travel agents authorized to operate group tours to Taiwan can organize group tours for mainland residents to enter Hong Kong in transit. The aim was to help the travel trade develop multi-destination tourism packages.

Authorization requirements have been also further relaxed under the agreement for Hong Kong commercial banks to establish sub-branches or service points, while qualified securities firms in Hong Kong and the mainland will be allowed to establish joint businesses in Guangdong, the mainland province neighboring Hong Kong.