Standards measuring

The ARATS and the SEF signed the agreement on the cooperation in standards measuring, inspection and certification in a bid to facilitate economic and trade contacts and improve the safety and quality of trade products.

It was hoped that the agreement would improve cross-Strait industrial cooperation, create a favorable investment environment and protect rights of consumers on both sides.

Under the agreement, the two sides agreed to work together on the establishment of common standards in key areas and construction of an information platform to share standards. Cooperation in legal measurement and information exchanges in measuring techniques and control would also be strengthened.

The two sides also agreed to carry out technical cooperation in inspection and measuring of product safety, and promote the establishment and implementation of certification and accreditation systems in new areas.

The two sides agreed to establish a bulletin system of goods safety information and intensify communication and coordination on handling unqualified goods.

They would set up a special working group separately to decide concrete plans and further cooperation, according to the agreement.

Fishermen employment

With an agreement signed after the talks, Taiwan fishing boat owners can hire people from the mainland to engage in offshore and deep-sea fishing and vice versa.

Crew of the same rank on board the same fishing boats from both the mainland and Taiwan are entitled to the same payment and labor protection measures, according to the pact.

Both sides agreed to respectively establish a system to allow fishing boat owners and crew file complaints and set up a mechanism to settle disputes on labor cooperation as well as guide business entities to settle labor disputes and emergencies.

The mainland and Taiwan will inform each other massive safety emergencies in a timely manner, jointly adopt measures to settle emergencies and severely punish business entities that violate the pact, it said.

The two sides also agreed to evaluate the execution of the pact regularly through work meetings and exchange of visits.

The agreements are supposed to take effect no later than 90 days after they are signed.