Moving still closer

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan are closer to more cooperation on the economic front when top negotiators from both sides decided yesterday to start the push for a free-trade deal across the Taiwan Straits.

The decision to launch the negotiation for an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) came after Beijing's top envoy Chen Yunlin met his Taiwan counterpart Chiang Pin-kung for their fourth round of talks since June last year.

Also yesterday, the negotiators also signed three agreements during the negotiators' meeting in Taichuang, central Taiwan, on labor cooperation in the fishing industry, cooperation in inspection and quarantine of farm produce, and cooperation in standards measuring, inspection and certification.