Recently, the semi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), set up by the PRC in 1991 to handle communications with Taiwan, launched its official website at www।arats.com.cn. The site, which uses simplified Chinese characters, also has an identical version using traditional Chinese characters at big5.arats.com.cn.
ARATS has chosen to launch its official website on 27 April, the 17th anniversary of the historic meeting in April 1993 between then ARATS President Wang Daohan and his Taiwan counterpart Koo Chen-fu (Gu Zhenfu), then chairman of Taiwan's Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF)।
Accurate and Comprehensive
The website also carries a written speech by current ARATS President Chen Yunlin, who expresses the hope that the launch of the website will "make it convenient for Internet users all over the world to gain an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the Chinese government's policies and views on cross-Strait negotiations" and "become a bridge for heart-to-heart communications and emotional connections between ARATS and the vast number of Internet users" in working together to "push forward and witness cross-Strait consultations and negotiations as well as peaceful development in cross-Strait relations।"
ARATS website will primarily publish authoritative information on the composition of ARATS organizations and the work they are doing; progress made in consultation between the ARATS and the SEF; specific matters and unexpected events handled by the ARATS and the SEF; personnel exchange between the two organizations; and contacts with Taiwan compatriots, Hong Kong and Macau compatriots and overseas Chinese; as well as other matters and trends that serve cross-Strait exchanges and promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations।
Historical Step Forward
The ARATS was founded in December 1991। As the only Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) on the mainland authorized to hold negotiations and sign agreements with its Taiwan counterparts, the ARATS plays a special role in cross-Strait relations. From 27 to 29 April 1993, ARATS held "Wang-Koo talks" with Taiwan's SEF, which marked an important historical step forward in cross-Strait relations.
In June 2008, the ARATS and the SEF resumed consultations and negotiations on the basis of the "1992 consensus." By April 2010, ARATS President Chen Yunlin has held four rounds of talks, signed 12 agreements, reached two consensuses with SEF Chairman Chiang Ping-kun, which helped pragmatically resolve issues in multi-respects in the areas of tourism, air and mail services, investment, finance, judiciary, food security, agriculture, fishery, industry and product standards, mainland investment in Taiwan, and cooperation in cross-Strait natural disaster prevention. All this has played an important role in the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.
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