A sweeping trade agreement between Taiwan and China will take effect today. The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), the most ambitious pact ever between the two sides, will come into fruition following approval by Taiwan's parliament last month. Signing the pact has been a major priority for Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's administration, which came to power in 2008 on a promise to improve the island's economy through better ties with China. The island's opposition, which favours formal independence from China, has argued that ECFA will make Taiwan more reliant on the mainland, while it will have no obvious economic benefits. <br/>