Chairman of the mailand's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chen Yunlin (L) shakes hands with Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman P.K. Chiang during a cross-Straits meeting in Taipei December 21, 2010. Taiwan and the mainland are planning to sign a medical agreement to share information on epidemics and cooperate in developing new drugs.  (Photo: ChinaTaiwan)

TAIPEI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese mainland's negotiator on cross-Strait ties Chen Yunlin started talks with his Taiwan counterpart Chiang Pin-kung on Tuesday morning in Taipei.

Chen, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Chiang, chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), will give a final touch on a cross-Strait medical and health cooperation agreement and exchange views on an investment protection deal during their talks.

This was the sixth round of talks between them in two years after the two organizations, authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-Strait affairs, resumed talks in 2008 after a nine-year suspension.