TAIWAN: Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin arrives in Taipei for the sixth round of cross-strait talks

Record ID: 559495

  • Title: TAIWAN: Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin arrives in Taipei for the sixth round of cross-strait talks
  • Date: 21st December 2010
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (DECEMBER 20, 2010) (REUTERS) CHEN'S VEHICLE ARRIVING IN FRONT OF HALL VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GREETING CHEN CHEN SHAKING HANDS WITH CHIANG PING-KUN (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHAIRMAN OF THE STRAITS EXCHANGE FOUNDATION (SEF) CHIANG PING-KUN SAYING "Regarding the investment protection, both sides have been working hard on the agreements. Although it cannot be completed this time, we expect everyone to assist the governments on both sides to finish the negotiation at tomorrow's talks, so that it will satisfy the investment needs of both sides." JOURNALISTS CHEN AND CHIANG STANDING IN FRONT OF MICROPHONE STANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHAIRMAN OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAITS (ARATS) CHEN YUNLIN SAYING "The cross-strait economic cooperation has brought a huge flow of people, goods, and information. The urgency and importance for a cross-strait medical agreement has again surfaced. If we are able to successfully sign the agreements, this will signify our common value and humanity concerns." CHEN AND CHIANG SHAKING HANDS AND PEOPLE APPLAUDING PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS "TAIWAN CHINA, ONE SIDE ONE COUNTRY" PROTESTERS CHANTING "WE WANT A REFERENDUM" PLACARD READING: STOP MA SELLING TAIWAN PROTESTERS RAISING PLACARDS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 46-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER CHEN CHUN-NUAN SAYING: "I think they should make the agreements open and transparent. It's as if they were signing everything in secret, we don't understand what it really is." (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 48-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER CHENG YU-SHOU SAYING: "The signing of EFCA only broadened the rich-poor gap in Taiwan, and most Taiwanese people are against it. I think ECFA should go through a referendum. I do not understand why the Ma government can't put the agreements through the test of a referendum. Any major issue should be decided through a referendum, if we were in a democratic country. There must be something fishy about the agreements." POLICE OFFICER FILMING JOURNALISTS FILMING PROTESTERS
  • Embargoed: 5th January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Taiwan, Province of China
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVABOFIXE1LD0UW87K6SN2SLEC1O
  • Story Text: Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin arrived in Taipei on Monday (December 20) for the latest round of talks with Taiwan, at which the two sides expect to sign medical agreements but will delay a proposed cross-strait investment protection plan.
    Taiwanese representatives gave Chen a red carpet welcome as he arrived at the Taoyuan International Airport with his wife.
    Chen, chairman of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), later met with his counterpart Chiang Ping-kun, who heads Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).
    A planned investment protection agreement was delayed due to the complexity of the issues, but Chiang said he hoped talks to be held on Tuesday (December 21), would bring further progress.
    "Regarding the investment protection, both sides have been working hard on the agreements. Although it cannot be completed this time, we expect everyone to assist the governments on both sides to finish the negotiation at tomorrow's talks, so that it will satisfy the investment needs of both sides," he said.
    The two sides will sign a set of medical agreements, the only ones to be signed this time, which include four parts: disease prevention, medical control and development, Chinese medicine research and safety management, and emergency medical treatments, to reduce medical risk after increased cross-strait cooperation.
    "The cross-strait economic cooperation has brought a huge flow of people, goods, and information. The urgency and importance for a cross-strait medical agreement has again surfaced. If we are able to successfully sign the agreements, this will signify our common value and humanity concerns," Chen said.
    At a news conference last Friday (December 17), Chiang said that in the future, if the two sides had no further agreements to sign then no talks will be hosted. The talks have been held twice a year since 2008.
    Chiang said the agreements are becoming more difficult, and at this round of three-day talks, the two sides will continue to negotiate on the details of investment protection.
    An anti-China group protested outside the meeting venue, the Grand Hotel, while police officers barred the area from traffic.
    Dozens of protesters held up placards and chanted "Taiwan China, one side one country," to voice their anger against the government's close cooperation with their giant neighbour.
    China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan for six decades, but since 2008, ties have improved to their best in 60 years and economic cooperation increased under Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou.
    Beijing hopes for political unification eventually.
    Protesters, like 46-year-old Chen Chun-nuan, said that the government has kept the people in the dark with the trade deals.
    "I think they should make the agreements open and transparent. It's as if they were signing everything in secret, we don't understand what it really is," she said.
    Others also demanded a referendum on the trade agreements like the controversial Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) free trade deal which came into effect in September.
    "The signing of EFCA only broadened the rich-poor gap in Taiwan, and most Taiwanese people are against it. I think ECFA should go through a referendum. I do not understand why the Ma government can't put the agreements through the test of a referendum. Any major issue should be decided through a referendum, if we were in a democratic country. There must be something fishy about the agreements," said 48-year-old Cheng Yu-shou.
    Taiwan stocks rose 0.49 percent on Monday, hovering at an over two-and-a-half-year high, on optimism that hotels, banks and other firms investing in China will benefit as the trade talks ensue.
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