TAIPEI: Economic affairs chief Shih Yen-shiang said yesterday that there is a good chance negotiators from Taiwan and the mainland will sign a proposed cross-Straits economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) in their fifth round of talks sometime next year.

However, Shih noted while briefing the Legislative Yuan on ECFA-related issues, the bottom line for the government for signing the ECFA is that there must be no further opening of the local market to mainland agricultural products.

Taiwan at present allows imports of around 2,000 mainland agricultural products, and officials have repeatedly vowed not to open the market wider for a remaining 800-odd mainland farm products.

During his report, Shih rejected a demand by opposition legislator Su Chen-ching to keep the domestic market closed to mainland farm goods permanently, or at least until the end of his tenure.

Shih said he will not promise that those mainland agricultural goods will be banned permanently, but noted that the longer the ban remains, the better it will be for local farmers.

He said that during their new round of talks scheduled to take place in the Central Taiwan city of Taichung next month, negotiators from the two sides of the Straits are expected to start a dialogue on the ECFA, but added that it will not be inked before the fifth round of cross-Straits talks are held.

He said it is still unclear when the fifth round will take place, but added that the government "will try its best to have the ECFA signed in the first half of next year."

The ECFA, once signed, will still have to get approval from the legislature before it can go into effect, according to Shih.

"The negotiators will have to return to the negotiating table should Taiwan's legislature refuse to endorse the pact," he added.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 11/19/2009 page2)