The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has denied a report published Wednesday that said Taiwan wanted to hold the next round of talks with China earlier than scheduled to expedite the signing of an agreement on economic cooperation with Beijing. 'How could that be possible? ' wondered MAC Vice Chairman Fu Dong-cheng Wednesday. He said the two sides have yet to hold a work meeting to pave the way for an official meeting between Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin- kung and Chen Yunlin, president of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS). 'As the accords signed in the previous round of negotiations in April in Nanjing have yet to take effect, how could it be possible for the two sides to discuss the planned topics projected for the next round of negotiations or touch on the date of the talks now, ' Fu added. SEF Deputy Secretary-General Ma Shao-chang said Wednesday that the only thing that is sure about the fourth round of talks with China is that they will be held in Taiwan, but he insisted he had not heard anything about any other details related to the meeting. Taiwan and China have to date agreed to discuss two-way cooperation on farm produce quarantines, standard product certification and the avoidance of double taxation at the fourth round of talks. The Taipei-based Commercial Times reported Wednesday that the talks might be held in late July or August rather than late in the year to expedite the signing of an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). The paper reported that Taiwan and China have been making arrangements for signing such an agreement. President Ma Ying-jeou has said that if conditions allow, an ECFA could be clinched during the fourth round of cross-Taiwan Strait negotiations. The Taipei-based Chinese National Federation of Industries published a white paper Tuesday, calling for the early establishment of the planned ECFA to tackle the formation of a regional trade bloc between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China in 2010. 