China's top negotiator with Taiwan -- Chen Yunlin, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) -- is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan next Monday for a new round of talks with his Taiwanese counterpart -- Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung -- on matters of mutual concern, such as industrial certification standards, agricultural quarantine and avoidance of double taxation. Chen will reportedly take advantage of his Dec. 21-25 visit to push Taiwan to further ease restrictions on cross-strait investment and lobby Taiwan's top flat panel manufacturer AU Optronics Corp. to invest in China to produce new generation liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. The following is a digest of some local media reports on the latest developments related to the flat panel industry: Commercial Times: Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs has promised to evaluate before the end of this year the feasibility of allowing local companies to invest in China in the production of large-sized LCD panels. With this in mind, ARATS President Chen Yunlin will try to attract Taiwanese manufacturers in the field to venture into the Chinese market, with AU Optronics (AUO) as the prime target. Chen's delegation will include representatives of 18 blue-chip companies in electronics, fiber optics and other high-tech industries. On the sidelines of the formal Chiang-Chen talks, Chinese high-tech industry executives will meet with their Taiwanese counterparts on possible trade or joint-venture deals. Chen will also take the opportunity to explore the possibility of AUO setting up production facilities in China. Economic Daily News: With flat panel prices going up, foreign institutional investors have raised profit forecasts for major local LCD companies, such as AUO and Chi Mei, for the first quarter of next year. Merrill Lynch securities analysts said Wednesday that major South Korean flat panel makers have reported increases in market demand for their products. With panel prices about to be raised from January, the analysts predicted that AUO and Chi Mei will see better profits next quarter. 