Taiwan may finish legal procedures for ECFA soon

GUANGZHOU - Wu Poh-hsiung, honorary chairman of Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) Party, on Saturday said he believed the island would soon complete legal procedures for the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
Wu made the remarks in Guangzhou when addressing the opening of the sixth Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Culture Forum, a regular forum between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the KMT.

"As peaceful development of cross-Straits ties wins support from the majority of Taiwan people, add to that our firm determination, I believed due legal procedures (for the ECFA) will be complete in the near future," he said.

The ECFA, signed by negotiators from both sides of the Taiwan Straits on June 30, aims to establish a systematic mechanism for enhancing cross-Straits economic cooperation.

The agreement will formally take effect one day after both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan complete due procedures and notify each other.

Calling the ECFA the "vitamins for Taiwan's economic development," Wu said he hoped both sides to jointly "build Chinese brands in the global market" through mainland-Taiwan cooperation.

In the meantime, Wu also acknowledged that more work would need to be done once legal procedures for the ECFA are completed. He called on both sides to use their greatest goodwill during the process.
(Source:xinhua)