TAIPEI: Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's representative to an Asia-Pacific informal leadership meeting said yesterday he will help push for the two sides of the Taiwan Straits to sign a bilateral partial free trade agreement as early as possible.

"I hope my attendance at the upcoming summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum will contribute to the negotiations and eventual signing of the proposed cross-Straits economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA)," said Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan, the former "vice president" who will represent Taiwan at the annual APEC event.

Speaking at a news conference, Lien said he will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Communist Party Chairman Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the APEC summit, set to take place November 14-15 in Singapore.

As Taiwan and mainland officials in charge of economic affairs are all attending the annual APEC Leaders' Week activities in the Southeast Asian city-state that began November 8, Lien said, the occasion presents a good opportunity for the two sides to achieve closure on various points in terms of previous rounds of informal talks on ECFA-related topics.

"I will help arrange for officials from the two sides to exchange views on ECFA issues on the APEC sidelines," Lien said, adding that such consultations will help pave the way for the two sides to enter formal negotiations on the agreement.

Like free trade agreements signed between many economies around the world, an ECFA would permit freer cross-Straits flow of many goods, services and capital. Nevertheless, Taiwan authorities have said the pact will not include agricultural goods and will not allow mainland laborers to enter Taiwan, to minimize any possible adverse impact of the pact.

Asked whether he will touch on political issues - such as the signing of a cross-Straits peace agreement and the establishment of a military trust mechanism - in his talks with Hu, Lien pointed out that it would be inappropriate for him to bring up such topics at the APEC occasion.

"The most important thing in cross-Straits engagements now is to work out major economic issues that have been delayed for a long time," said Lien, who is scheduled to depart for Singapore Thursday.

Noting that the proposed ECFA is crucial to Taiwan, Lien said such a pact will not only help prevent Taiwan from being marginalized in this era of increasing economic integration, but will also help institutionalize cross-Straits trade and economic relations on an equal footing.

Although critics have said a cross-Straits ECFA deal could make Taiwan more reliant on the mainland economically, Lien said an ECFA deal with Beijing would facilitate Taiwan's bid to sign free trade agreements with other APEC member economies.

Meanwhile, he dismissed a media report that he will propose at the APEC summit the establishment of an APEC typhoon research center in Taiwan, noting that it is not the norm in the international community that a proposal is formally brought up before bilateral and multilateral consultations have taken place.

"As many Asia-Pacific countries are liable to being struck by typhoons, I might broach some response strategies at the upcoming meeting... But it would be another issue to directly suggest creating a research center in Taiwan," he added.

In addition to attending two plenary sessions with the top leaders of all the other APEC member economies during the two-day summit, Lien will also attend panel sessions with some other leaders and hold bilateral or multilateral talks with selected leaders.

Asked whether he will bring up controversial beef trade issues with US President Barack Obama should the opportunity present itself, Lien said he has not been directed to discuss this topic.

The government's recent decision to allow imports of US bone-in beef and beef products from cattle under 30 months of age has drawn flak amidst panic over mad cow disease, but Lien said he supports the government's attitude of upholding the newly signed Taiwan-US trade protocol in line with the spirit of the World Trade Organization and the World Animal Health Organization.

This will be the second consecutive year that Lien has represented Taiwan at the APEC leaders summit.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 11/10/2009 page2)