Mainland, Taiwan negotiators hold 10th round of talks

TAIPEI - Chief negotiators from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Thursday morning began the 10th round of cross-Straits talks, centering on two agreements on cooperation in meteorological and seismic monitoring.

Chen Deming, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Lin Join-sane, chairman of Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), delivered speeches at the meeting.

Chen said the mainland and Taiwan, both prone to meteorological disasters and earthquakes, should establish a close cooperation mechanism.

"To our delight, the two sides' meteorological and seismic authorities, having taken into mind the people's well-being and the safety of lives and property, have reached consensus on the contents of the agreement with great efficiency," he said.

The agreements aim to build a communication channel for the two sides to exchange information in a timely manner to improve monitoring and protect people's lives when disasters hit, according to Chen.