2ND LD: China, Taiwan ink accords on regular flights, financial services.

NANJING, China, April 26 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH JOINT STATEMENT, ADDING DETAILS ON ACCORDS)

China and Taiwan ended two days of negotiations Sunday with agreements on regularly scheduled flights across the Taiwan Strait, financial services and cooperation in fighting crime.

The two sides also issued a joint statement on opening Taiwan to Chinese investment, though it remains to be seen how much investment will be allowed and what sectors will be involved.

The three agreements were inked by Chen Yunlin, president of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, and his Taiwanese counterpart Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation.

Under the aviation agreement, 108 weekly, direct charter flights will be replaced by 270 regularly scheduled flights per week.

The financial services agreement, meanwhile, paves the way for financial organizations from China to set up branches in Taiwan and vice-versa.

The two sides agreed to jointly crack down on major crimes involving kidnapping, weapons, drugs and human trafficking; cross-border organized crime; and economic crimes involving fraud, money laundering, forging or falsifying currencies and securities.

The two days of negotiations in Nanjing were the third round to be held since last year on economic and logistical issues in cross-strait relations.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei have warmed dramatically since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou took office last year on a platform of improving ties with Beijing.

Since then, Taipei and Beijing had signed and implemented agreements establishing direct charter flights; cargo, postal and tourism links; and food safety.