BEIJING -- Friday’s meeting between the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits and the Straits Exchange Foundation marks the ninth between the two sides, since they resumed contact in 2008. In the previous 8 meetings spanning 5 years, a number of agreements were signed to promote cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. CCTV reporter Zhong Shi takes a look back at how the two organizations have helped bring the mainland and Taiwan closer.
It all started, or rather, restarted in 2008. After a 9 year suspension, talks resumed between the mainland’s Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits and Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation.
Two agreements were signed, allowing weekend chartered flights and mainland residents to travel to Taiwan. A follow-up meeting in the same year marked the official beginning of direct trade, post and transportation, dubbed the Three Direct Links, between the two sides.
Yearly talks were then to follow. By the end of the 8th meeting, a total of 18 agreements were inked on issues ranging from investment, health, agriculture, intellectual property and nuclear safety.
Among these agreements, the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed in 2010 reduced commercial barriers and boosted bilateral trade.
And with the service trade pact this time, the Mainland is expected to open up a total of 65 areas in the service sector to Taiwan, including E-commerce, finance, and telecommunications. Meanwhile, Taiwan will allow the mainland access to 55 fields including finance, medical care and travel agencies. Currently the services industry accounts for about 44 percent of the mainland’s GDP and nearly 70% of Taiwan’s. The services pact is said to be able to help advance the establishment of a "common market" across the Taiwan Straits.
