Delay likely for Taiwan, China talks

China and Taiwan’s scheduled talks over a trade pact are likely to be delayed as officials disagreed over who should represent each side, AFP reported, citing Taiwanese media sources. The Taipei-based Economic Daily News claimed that the delay was related to Taiwan’s intention to have its vice economic minister lead the talks, while China wanted lower level officials to be involved in order to keep the negotiations as low key as possible. Taiwanese Premier Wu Den-yih wanted the cross-strait talks, which have already been delayed from the end of 2009, to take place as soon as possible, so that China and Taiwan could sign a trade pact in May. But an official told AFP that China still had problems with the arrangement. "It’d be extremely difficult to begin talks Wednesday as planned as we’re still discussing the details with China," said Maa Shaw-chang, a spokesman of the Strait Exchange Foundation.