Premier Jiang Yi-huah today received the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) delegates who represented Taiwan in the 10th Round of Cross-Strait High-level Talks and was briefed by Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Chang Hsien-yao and SEF Chairman Lin Join-sane on these negotiations and their results.
Agreements were signed at the talks for cooperation on seismological and meteorological monitoring, which will help enhance both sides' prognostication and early warning capabilities, minimize losses from natural disasters and safeguard people's lives and property, the premier noted.
The aforementioned accords were vetted by a two-phase national-security review mechanism for cross-strait negotiations instituted by the ROC this year, pointed out the premier, who remarked that this should put the public at ease.
Additionally, Jiang enjoined relevant agencies to explain every stage of issue formation, communication, and coordination to the public while stepping up dialogue with the Legislature and society to gain the nation's support for accords after they are signed.
The premier asked the MAC to work with competent agencies to ensure the ROC is fully prepared to gain the greatest benefits possible during future negotiations, whose topics are expected to include:
- Follow-ups to the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement regarding trade in goods and dispute resolution
- Avoidance of double taxation and strengthened tax cooperation
- The establishment of offices for SEF on mainland China and SEF's mainland counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, in Taiwan
- Cross-strait collaboration on environmental protection
- Cooperation on flight safety and airworthiness standards
- Jiang also instructed related agencies to explain their efforts clearly to citizens to win their consensus and support.
"Cross-strait negotiations involve the respective concerns of both parties. They are never easy, and they will in fact be even more complex and arduous, as more and more challenges present themselves," the premier warned.
"I encourage every agency to put Taiwan first for the benefit of its people while continuing to promote the institutionalization of cross-strait talks and further consolidate the foundation for peaceful and stable development in cross-strait relations."