The time has come for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to be more practical in arranging their institutionalized high-level talks, known locally as the 'Chiang-Chen meetings, ' in order to enhance their effects and avoid any snags. The failure of the two sides to sign a double taxation avoidance agreement at the just-concluded fourth such meeting in Taichung signals that cross-strait negotiations have entered a new stage that will require more dealmaking efforts than previous rounds. In the past, the two-quasi-official intermediary bodies -- Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) -- spent much time on formality details, including meeting settings and venues, as they endeavored to create a good atmosphere for cross-strait interaction after years of tension created by the previous Democratic Progressive Party administration's pro-independence stance. Such efforts can no longer be justified, as cross-strait talks have become more issue- and substance-oriented, with more and more thorny issues involving distribution of interests and benefits topping the agenda. Those issues can only be discussed in a sincere and frank manner with the support of well-planned preparations. What matters is the delicate dealmaking process rather than hollow pomp and trappings. According to a preliminary agreement, the next meeting between SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kun and ARATS President Chen Yunlin will mainly deal with two issues -- a much-anticipated cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) and cooperation in intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. Given the scope and complexity of the issues to be covered in the ECFA, the two sides should consider whether they should still arrange the fifth Chiang-Chen meeting in the first half of 2010 in line with the existing formality of holding a high-level meeting once every six months. The next Chiang-Chen meeting should take place only when the two sides are ready to cut the ECFA deal, which will cover wide-ranging cross-strait distribution of interests and lay the groundwork for normalization of cross-strait trade and economic relations. The image and framework of the Chiang-Chen talks could be at stake if the ECFA deal is not signed at the fifth meeting. 