Taiwan-China talks show fresh progress
Cross-strait relations opening up between Taiwan and China
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Thursday, 06, Nov 2008 09:55
Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou has met with a senior Chinese official in Taipei in a historic step forward for cross-strait relations.
Communist mainland China has insisted Taiwan should be unified with it since the 1949 revolution in which they seized power. Since then military conflict has appeared close on several occasions.
Mr Ma, who was elected earlier this year on a platform of rapprochement with China, has already seen trade and transport links boosted.
Observers say today's meeting with Taiwan Straits Exchange Foundation chairman Chiang Pin-kung represents another step forward as the first face-to-face meeting with a Chinese official for decades.
Economic cooperation rather than political progress is the main focus of the talks. The Xinhua news agency said agreements had been reached on postal services, flights and food safety.
It reported Mr Ma saying areas of disagreement continued to exist between the two sides but that he hoped they could be resolved through a "positive attitude".
Mr Ma's friendly stance towards China has divided Taiwanese people, however.
The Reuters news agency said at least 10,000 people protested outside the building where the pair were meeting, calling for Mr Chen's expulsion from Taiwan and the immediate resignation of Mr Ma.