A new round of cross-Taiwan Strait negotiations might resume after the Beijing Olympics and conclude in late October or early November, with Taiwan and China inking two agreements on setting up direct shipping links and cargo charter flight services, a Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) official said yesterday.

Kao Koong-lien, vice chairman and secretary-general of the semi-official SEF, said the foundation has informed its Chinese counterpart -- the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) -- of its idea of re-opening planned two-way talks in Taiwan after the Olympics.

"The two intermediary bodies are expected to re-open bilateral negotiations after the Beijing Olympics and to wrap up the talks by late October or early November," he said.

Kao made the remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a forum on Taiwan's prospects of becoming an "Asia-Pacific financial hub."

Commenting on the possible negotiation topics in the coming round of bilateral talks, he said the two sides agreed in June talks in Beijing to discuss adding new destinations and new routes to the existing direct cross-Taiwan Strait weekend charter flights, as well as the signing of two new accords on the establishment of direct shipping and cargo charter flight services across the strait.