Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung said that he believed talks between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan would continue despite difficulties.

Chiang held talks with the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) President Chen Yunlin in Taipei two weeks ago. Their meeting marked the first visit of an ARATS leader to the island.

Chen's stay in Taipei had been accompanied by protests from Taiwan's pro-independence forces. As protests became violent, protesters clashed with riot police

In an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday, Chiang said the "difficulties" didn't undermine the basis of trust between the two sides and their determination to continue the talks.

"The goal we are pursuing is peace across the strait," Chiang said. "Only when we have peace, could the economies of the two sides be prosperous and people live better lives."

"Even though the road (to peace) is full of obstacles and difficulties, I am sure the two sides will firmly keep moving forward," he said.

The talks between Chiang and Chen in Taipei was their second meeting this year. The Cross-Straits negotiation had been suspended for nearly 10 years until their first meeting in Beijing in June this year.

Set up in 1991 and 1990 respectively, the ARATS and the SEF were two non-governmental organizations authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-Straits issues.

Chiang said the SEF was deliberating on the topics of its third round of talks with the ARATS, which is likely to take place within half a year.

"I also hope that president Chen would come to Taiwan again for the fourth round of talks during the second half of next year," Chiang said.

He didn't disclose the timing and place of the next round of talks, but said that future topics were likely to cover investment protection, standards for taxation, intellectual property rights protection and a joint crackdown on criminal activities.

Chiang said none of the topics involved politics. "Those topics demand immediate attention. The settlement of the problems would benefit people across the strait, especially Taiwan people, he said.

The Taipei talks ended with four agreements on direct shipping, air transport, postal services and food safety.

Chiang said the talks between the SEF and the ARATS should address the issues that were easy for the two sides to reach agreements first and then enter talks on difficult problems. "Economics first and then politics," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2008)