TIANJIN -- The Chinese mainland's negotiator on cross-Strait ties, Chen Yunlin, began talks with his Taiwan counterpart Chiang Pin-kung on Thursday morning in the mainland's northern city of Tianjin.
Chen, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Chiang, chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), will put the final touches on a cross-Strait nuclear safety cooperation agreement during their talks.
This is the seventh round of talks between the two sides in the past three years.
The signing of the nuclear safety agreement will lead to the establishment of a nuclear safety reporting system between the two sides, promote cooperation among nuclear safety organizations and strengthen exchanges in nuclear safety regulation and supervision, Chen said during the talks.
These efforts will help raise nuclear safety standards on both sides of the Strait, safeguard the security, property and health of the people and protect the environment, he said.
The negotiators will also continue the discussion about an investment protection agreement between the mainland and Taiwan.
According to Chen, the two sides have made positive and important progress through active and in-depth communication in this regard, and have essentially reached a consensus on the contents of the agreement.
The two sides have agreed to accelerate the discussion in the final stage, and the agreement is expected to be signed in the next round of talks, Chen said.
Industrial cooperation will also be highlighted in the talks
Chen said that people on both sides of the Strait share fundamental interests. "It is very normal that we disagree on some details, and these disagreements can be resolved well through communication and negotiations."
"The peaceful development of cross-Strait relations has become a common call and common aspiration of people on both sides, and I believe that this hard-won situation will be cherished by compatriots across the Strait," Chen said.
"Only with mutual trust built on a common political basis can we expect a situation for mutual good, and only with mutual understanding and tolerance can we strive to go through the difficulties together," he said.
Chiang said that the institutional talks between the SEF and the ARATS over the past three years have brought about many tangible benefits for cross-Strait exchanges, and these should be carefully maintained and cherished.
He called on both sides to carry out more practical negotiations, and to strive for a brighter future for the people on the two sides of the Strait.
