TAICHUNG, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan have reached consensus on three topics to be discussed on Tuesday when the two sides start a fresh round of talks.
The topics include labor cooperation in fishing industry, cooperation in inspection and quarantine of agricultural products, and cooperation in standard measuring, inspection and certification, according to Zheng Lizhong, executive vice president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).
The ARATS and its Taiwan counterpart Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), both authorized in handling cross-Strait issues, exchanged views on the topics during a preparatory discussion Monday afternoon in Taichung and prepared an agreement to be submitted Tuesday for ARATS and SEF chiefs to sign.
"The topics involve various aspects including fishery, agriculture, industry and commerce. They were carefully chosen with full consideration of people's needs on both sides," said Zheng at a press conference after the discussion.
The two sides also reached a basic consensus on avoiding double taxation and strengthening taxation cooperation.
The ARATS and SEF would arrange after-talk negotiations to further exchange views and sign the agreement on taxation cooperation in due time, Zheng said.
The talks between the ARATS and SEF in Taichung will be the fourth round since the two sides resumed negotiations in June last year after a 10-year suspension. The two sides have signed nine agreements in previous three meetings held respectively in Beijing, Taipei and Nanjing.
"These agreements have brought convenience and momentum to the economic and social exchange between the mainland and Taiwan. They have also played a positive role for the two sides to jointly weather the international financial crisis," Zheng said.
Kao Kung-lian, vice chairman and secretary general of the SEF, also said at the press conference that these agreements had benefited people on both sides.
"With the increasingly close contact of the mainland and Taiwan, more topics will be discussed and more agreements will be signed," said Kao, who also expressed thankfulness to the mainland for help after Typhoon Morakot hit the island in August.
Chen Yunlin, president of the ARATS, said on Monday the cross-Strait systematic talks have been on the track after previous meetings.
"As long as we stick to it, the path heading to peaceful development of cross-Strait relations will be wider," Chen said, who led the mainland delegation.
Taiwan-based Economic Daily also said in Monday's editorial that the progress of cross-Strait economic and trade exchange over the past 18 months "shall make both sides feel proud."
The latest public opinion poll released by Taiwan authorities showed 60 percent of local respondents supported systematic talks in handling issues related to cross-Strait exchanges.
As for the fourth round of the talks, experts in both the mainland and Taiwan agreed that the two sides were focusing on more practical issues that serve the people more directly.
"The topics this time seem not as big as in previous meetings, but they are very practical and concrete. Talks between the two sides may hence enter into a new stage of 'pragmatic negotiations'," said Chou Jih-shine, a professor from Taiwan University.
"The cross-Strait systematic talks focus on both macro and micro issues, which will help with the big picture and also benefit the people on both sides with fruits of negotiations," said Liu Zhentao, director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Tsinghua University.
Zhu Weidong, deputy director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said "each round of cross-Strait talks paves the way for the next round, and common grounds are accumulated gradually."
