ARATS Vice President Zheng Lizhong. (CNA file photo)

Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) A Chinese official who handles negotiation with Taiwan arrived in Taipei Sunday for a preparatory meeting ahead of a review Monday of existing trade and economic agreements between the two sides.

Zheng Lizhong (鄭立中), vice president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and his delegation went into the preparatory meeting soon after their arrival in Taiwan.

The formal review of the cross-Taiwan Strait agreements will be the third since 2011. It will be conducted by ARATS and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), both quasi-official organizations tasked with handling cross-strait affairs.

Shih Hui-fen (施惠芬), deputy minister of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, will represent Taiwan in the meeting in her capacity as vice chairman of the SEF.

According to the SEF, the review will focus on certain aspects of agreements that have already been signed and implemented by the two sides.

Among the issues Taiwan plans to raise are the repatriation of economic criminals and China's rules on transit points for its nationals traveling abroad.

China allows its citizens to make transit stops in Japan or South Korea en route to other countries, but not in Taiwan.

After the review session on Monday, the ARATS and SEF officials will hold separate press briefings at 3:30 p.m. and 4:05 p.m., respectively.

Meanwhile, ARATS President Chen Deming (陳德銘) will lead a Chinese delegation on a seven-day visit around Taiwan, starting Monday, according to the SEF.

Chen is expected to meet with Taiwan business leaders and interact with the public in an effort to gain a better understanding of Taiwan's grassroots soft power, the SEF said.

He will not attend the review of the cross-strait agreements, it said.

(By Chen Chia-lun and Kay Liu)
enditem/pc