President Ma Ying-jeou said Friday local companies have become more willing to stay in Taiwan and raise their investment in the country after the signing of the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China. Ma said many local companies have high hopes that the ECFA, which is pending approval in the Legislature Yuan, will increase economic exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and boost the bottom line of the local business sector. He added that local companies he has recently visited -- mostly from the manufacturing sector and the agriculture and fishery sector -- have expressed willingness to further invest in Taiwan instead of relocating overseas. Ma made the comments as he met a 40-member delegation from the Chinese National Federation of Industries. Ma said some local entities had come up with projects to raise their investments in Taiwan even before the ECFA was signed amid growing optimism toward the domestic economy. Taiwan and China signed the major trade pact on June 29 and an early harvest list in the accord grants a total of 539 types of Taiwanese products and services a preferential tariff status or easier market access to the mainland. Ma said that Taiwan and China will continue negotiations in investment protection and that the two sides will enter talks on how to resolve business disputes. They will also discuss details of trade and investment in the service sector under the ECFA, he said. Ma said that he expects negotiators from the Taiwan side to face challenges in the upcoming talks, but that he believes they will try their best to protect the rights and benefits of the local business sector. 