Taiwan negotiators arrive in Fuzhou for new round of talks

FUZHOU - A Taiwan delegation, headed by Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) chairman Lin Join-sane, arrived in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, on Monday for talks with mainland negotiators.

In his welcoming address, mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) president Chen Deming said the 11th SEF/ARATS talks will cover cross-Strait taxation cooperation, civil aviation safety, and cross-Strait travel.

According to Chen, the interval between this weeks's talks and the 10th round in February last year, which was held in Taipei, is the longest since talks resumed in 2008.

He said cross-Strait exchanges may not always run smoothly but both sides wanted peaceful development of cross-Strait ties and fair negotiations.

While calling on both sides to adhere to the "1992 Consensus", he said there were historic opportunities available that would promote the welfare of people on both sides of the Straits.

Lin said Taiwan and the mainland were working together on regional and global development.

He said that SEF and ARATS will discuss all issues considered advantageous to cross-Strait exchanges and the welfare of the people on both sides.

ARATS and SEF are NGOs assigned by the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, respectively, to negotiate cross-Strait issues.

The 11th round of talks between the two sides will begin Tuesday.