Backgrounder: Key talks between ARATS, SEF

Source: Xinhua | 04-25-2009 09:51

NANJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung left Taipei for mainland city Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, Saturday morning to attend talks with the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) President Chen Yunlin.

This is the third round of talks between the two leaders in less than a year.

Founded in 1991 and 1990 respectively, the ARATS and the SEF are authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-straits affairs.

The following are the key talks between the two organizations in the past:

In November 1992, the ARATS and the SEF held talks in Hong Kong. The organizations reached what's called the "1992 Consensus." It states that both sides adhere to the "one China" principle.

In April 1993, ARATS President Wang Daohan and SEF Chairman KooChen-fu held a historic "Wang-Koo meeting" in Singapore. It was the first public meeting between leaders of the two organizations. They signed four agreements on economic and trade cooperation.