Mainland, Taiwanese negotiators start talks

Chief negotiators from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Thursday morning started their eighth round of talks since 2008, centering on cross-Strait agreements regarding investment protection and customs cooperation that are scheduled to be signed later in the day.

Chen Yunlin, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, and Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation, delivered inaugural speeches at the meeting.

Chen said the investment protection and promotion agreement, which has been requested by investors for the purpose of facilitating economic development on both sides, will serve as a "realistic solution" to problems regarding the protection of investors' rights and interests during two-way investment.

"It will offer systematic protection for investors on both sides," he said. "Besides offering protection for (direct) investors in a common manner, the agreement clearly prescribes protection for (indirect) Taiwanese businesspeople who invest on the mainland via a third party."

The agreement also includes clauses regarding the protection of investors' personal safety and provides a multi-solution settlement mechanism for disputes, according to Chen.

He said the customs cooperation agreement will improve the efficiency of customs clearance and enhance the effective supervision of cargo in cross-Strait trade.