Experts from China and Taiwan launched the first round of talks aimed at paving the way for a major trade pact between the one- time rivals, a Chinese official said. The meeting comes amid improving ties between the two sides, nearly two years after Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou took office on a pledge to step up cross strait trade relations as a way to boost the island's stalled economy.
The one-day talks, expected to centre on procedural issues, will set the stage for higher level negotiations later this year, the state Xinhua news agency reported.
The Taiwanese delegation is being led by Kao Koong-lian, deputy chairman of the quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation, the official said.
The two bodies have been authorised by their governments to handle negotiations between Taiwan and China in the absence of official contacts.
The government in Taipei is eager to conclude the deal with Beijing, known as the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), which it says could boost growth and create jobs on the self-ruled island.