Cross-Straits fishery labor co-op to be resumed (Xinhua) Updated: 2006-02-09 08:57
Chinese mainland has decided to resume the export of fishery labor services
to Taiwan in the upcoming fishing season after four-year-long suspension,
announced by an official with the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing on
Wednesday.
Tang Wei, director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Department
under the Ministry of Commerce said at a regular press conference that mainland
and Taiwan had reached consensus in principle on the fundamental requirements
and details of the fishery labor cooperation.
"The fishery labor cooperation is one of the important components of the
cross-Straits trade cooperation. However, the legitimate interests of mainland
fishermen could not be effectively protected during the past long time and thus
conflicts frequently occurred, due to the absence of a functional cross-Straits
fishermen cooperation and coordination mechanism," said Tang.
Therefore, mainland suspended the export of fishery labor services to Taiwan
in 2001, he said.
Since the suspension, many Taiwan organizations have contacted the mainland
counterparts, hoping that the mainland would resume the cooperation, said Diao
Chunhe, director of Fishery Labor Cooperation Coordination Committee for the Two
Sides of the Straits at the press conference.
Considering the demand of Taiwan's fishery industry development, mainland has
been actively creating opportunities for restoring fishermen export to Taiwan
and pushed forward the negotiations between the non-governmental fishery
associations across the Straits, said Tang.
Currently, the fishery associations across the Straits have established a
cooperation and coordination mechanism, which has been approved by the
departments concerned of the mainland in principle.
"We do hope the departments concerned across the Straits endorse a
cooperation agreement as soon as possible and the Taiwan authorities to give
positive response to the resumption of the fishery labor cooperation and protect
the legitimate rights of mainland's fishermen," said
Tang.
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