SHANGHAI - Chinese mainland's negotiator on cross-Straits ties Chen Deming started talks with his Taiwan counterpart Lin Join-sane here on Friday over a service trade agreement.

Chen became the president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) in April 2013 and Lin was elected chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in September 2012. It is the first time for them to sit at a negotiation table since they took office as chief negotiators on cross-Straits affairs.

The service trade agreement is one of the follow-up agreements for the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, a more comprehensive cross-Straits economic pact signed in 2010. ECFA aims to reduce tariffs and commercial barriers between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Founded in 1991 and 1990, respectively, the ARATS and SEF are authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-Straits affairs.