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Thursday July 17, 9:30 PMTaiwan eyes direct sea transport deal with China by year-end: envoy(Kyodo) _ Taiwan hopes to conclude a deal with China on direct sea transportation across the Taiwan Strait by the end of the year, Taiwan's chief negotiator said Thursday."We have decided to within three months conclude freight chartered flights (with China), and hopefully by the end of year reach a deal on direct sea transportation," Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kun told reporters after attending the third annual Straits Forum held in Hong Kong. Negotiators of the two sides are scheduled to meet again in the fall for talks on expanding a direct flight scheme, freight flights and ship transport. "With China being the manufacturing base, Taiwan could be a trade operation center in Asia when we have direct transportation," Chiang said. Despite lingering friction, cross-strait ties have warmed dramatically since Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou took office May 20 after vowing to establish direct air, shipping and tourism links with China. Talks last month between Chiang's foundation and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits marked a revival of official cross-strait negotiations after a nearly decade-long freeze on high-level, face-to-face contact. The talks between the two semi-governmental organizations, which handle relations between China and Taiwan in the absence of official ties, ended with the signing of pacts on expanding direct charter flights and tourism links. The two sides subsequently inaugurated the passenger flights, which now operate every Friday through Monday. |
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