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The Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) (simplified Chinese: 海峡两岸关系协会; traditional Chinese: 海峽兩岸關係協會; pinyin: Hǎixiá Liǎngàn Guānxì Xiéhuì; often abbreviated 海协会 / 海協會) is an organization set up by the People's Republic of China for handling technical or business matters with the Republic of China.
The ROC counterpart to ARATS is the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).
The foundation's founding chairman was former Shanghai mayor Wang Daohan, honourary chairman Rong Yiren. Negotiations with SEF stopped in 1999, and after Wang's death in 2005 no new chair was appointed until 2008. Following the election of Ma Ying-jeou to the presidency in Taiwan, talks between ARATS and SEF are scheduled to re-start. Chen Yunlin, who was formerly head of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, has been designated as the next head of ARATS. He is expected to meet with his counter-party designate, Chiang Pin-kung prior to their respective appointments later in 2008.
[edit] List of Presidents
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