Taiwan hopes to speed up trade talks

Taiwan wants to begin formal negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement with the mainland soon, AFP reported. Shih Yen-shiang, the island's economic minister, speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing APEC summit, said Thursday that while discussions are still only in the informal stages, Taiwan wants to "accelerate the pace" of the negotiations. The pact is likely to be discussed when delegates from the two sides meet in Taiwan in December. APEC is one of the few international organizations where both China and Taiwan are full members. However, while Chinese political leaders are allowed to attend APEC functions, Taiwanese presidents are banned due to Chinese objections.