Wang Yi, chief of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said Beijing hopes the two sides can exchange views on the issue in the fourth round of talks between China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) , the two intermediary bodies in the absence of official ties.

Wang made the remarks at a seminar sponsored jointly by the Taipei-based Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research and a think tank under the Taiwan Affairs Office.

"We are willing to negotiate with Taiwan on a trade pact and suggest the completion of studies by experts from both sides, " he said.

The seminar has drawn senior economic officials from Taiwan, including Deputy Economic Minister Hwang Jung-chiou, and Council for Economic Planning and Development Vice Minister San Gee.

ARATS President Chen Yun-lin and SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung are slated to meet in the central Taiwan city of Taichung on an as-yet unspecified date in December for the fourth round of cross-strait negotiations.

The trade pact, called an economic cooperation framework agreement, is designed to promote trade and economic cooperation between the two sides and the Taiwanese side hopes it will be concluded early next year.

It has stirred up controversy in Taiwan as its opponents are worried that the pact will undermine the country's sovereignty despite President Ma Ying-jeou's repeated assurances that it will not change the status quo across the strait in any way.

(By Guo Mei-lan and Maubo Chang)