Minister calls to advance cross-Strait trade talks

The Chinese commerce minister Gao Hucheng on Saturday urged to advance the follow-up talks on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), a cross-Strait economic pact signed in 2010. [Specail coverage]

Gao made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing National People's Congress annual session.

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan should "cherish the achievement, take care of each other's concerns and move towards each other," Gao said, calling both sides to implement what has been achieved and advance the follow-up talks for ECFA.

Gao also said it is understandable that some Taiwan industry practitioners expressed concerns over the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) because some industries of ROK and Taiwan come under homogeneous competition.

"We don't want to see this kind of situation either," Gao said.

China and the ROK began FTA talks in May 2012, later than the start of the ECFA talks, according to Gao.

China and the ROK announced the end of FTA negotiations and the signing of the trade pact in February.