between Taiwan and China on Tuesday marked a major, historic step. The deal will not only boost bilateral economic and trade exchanges but also take cross-Taiwan Strait relations to a new milestone. Judging from the ECFA's 'early-harvest' program, which includes 539 Taiwan goods and 267 China products, Beijing has indeed displayed its sincerity and goodwill by honoring its promise to make concessions to Taiwan. The agreement will help increase mutual understanding and eliminate hostility between the two sides, laying a solid foundation for creating a future of coexistence and co-prosperity. However, many things remain to be done after the trade pact's conclusion. One of them is sending the agreement to the Legislative Yuan for review, and partisan wrangling is bound to erupt. Another issue will be the progress of Taiwan's bids to seal free trade agreements with other countries, which will be a barometer of China's goodwill. How to protect weak industries and workers from the impact of the ECFA will also be a challenge that the two sides will have to face. 