Former Vice President Vincent Siew on Sunday urged China to work with Taiwan in elevating their economic relations to a new level.

During a meeting with China's President Xi Jinping, Siew said he put forth a proposal to work on a new structure that can be called version 2.0 of cross-strait economic ties.

There will be three ways to achieve that goal, Siew told the media following his meeting with Xi at the Great Hall of the People on the sideline of the 2014 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)leaders' meeting. Siew attended the summit on behalf of President Ma Ying-jeou.

First, Siew said, China and Taiwan can work for a new mechanism in which both sides will jointly participate in regional economic blocs such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) -- an effort that he believes would boost Taiwanese people's confidence in the government's agenda to liberalize trade ties with China.

Second, according to the former vice president, both sides should jointly build a new model of economic cooperation by completing the follow-up negotiations on the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, focusing on the trade-in-goods pact.

And third, Siew said, China and Taiwan should work on building a new platform of cross-strait exchanges with the general public at the center, so that grass-roots people can participate in exchange programs and share the fruit of such exchanges.

During the 30-minute meeting with Xi and other senior Chinese officials, Siew and his delegation called on China to work with Taiwan in maintaining three "no-changes" in bilateral relations: no change to the main principle of peaceful development of cross-strait ties; no change to their "1992 consensus" as a basis for negotiations; and no change to institutionalizing their economic cooperation for the sake of benefiting people on both sides of the strait.

On his part, Xi Jinping called on Taiwan to work with China on developing "long-term and healthy" cross-Taiwan Strait relations.

Xi said some achievements have been made over the past year and more since he took office in the development of cross-strait ties, but he added that there are also some "new problems."

He said both sides should strengthen their mutual trust and confidence, respect each other and engage in "benevolent interaction" to keep bilateral ties developing in a "long-term and healthy direction."

To Taiwan's call for joining regional economic integration, Xi told Siew that both sides will "actively seek ways" through communication and coordination for Taiwan to achieve that goal.

And Xi's wording was that he hopes arrangements will be made in such a way as to provide new vitality and momentum for Taiwan to develop its economy.

When Taiwan Affairs Minister Zhang Zhijun paraphrased his boss' "directive" on this issue, Zhang told the media that China is willing to help Taiwan join regional economic integration.

"But the speediest way to reach that goal is for Taiwan to deepen its economic integration with the mainland, and to communicate with the mainland in advance over the issue," Zhang said.

While working level officials of Taiwan will have "grave tasks" ahead, Siew said he had accomplished his mission assigned by President Ma.

Siew will likely meet more national leaders attending the Beijing meeting, but he said he will not be able to brief the media on the results until he returns home.

"I'm not trying to dangle things in front of you. I have to do so for the sake of national interest," he said


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semoga damai2 aja ...China-Taiwan sama2 saudara .