China’s top negotiator with Taiwan says interactions between the two sides are in a healthy state despite “a few small problems”.
President of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, Chen Deming, made the comments on Saturday. He was meeting his Taiwanese counterpart Lin Join-sane in the Chinese city of Jiangsu on the sidelines of a forum attended by Taiwanese businesspeople in China.
It was the first meeting between the two since Deputy Minister Chang Hsien-yao of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council was sacked two weeks ago. Chang allegedly leaked official documents to China.
There have been suggestions that the circumstances surrounding Chang’s removal could make it more difficult for President Ma Ying-jeou’s government to pursue his China policies, including efforts to sign new major trade agreements.
Taiwan’s top negotiator with China, Lin Join-sane, said the two sides are busy with issues that emerged as items for negotiations from the last round of high-level talks in February. He also said cross-strait relations will not be affected by “trivial matters”.