Cross-Straits talks held to help boost economic relations

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan held their first talks in Beijing yesterday to pave the way for a long-awaited, free-trade-like deal that is expected to boost cross-Straits economic ties.

According to the agenda, negotiators were expected to evaluate the results and proposals of a joint research by academic institutions on both sides on the economic cooperation framework and discuss its official name and basic structure.

Their meeting will prepare for the formal discussion on the proposed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) at the next round of talks between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in the first half of this year.