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| Historic China-Taiwan talks open | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Chinese President Hu Jintao has begun a historic meeting with Taiwan's Vice-President-elect, Vincent Siew. | |
| The meeting is the highest-level contact between the two sides since the post-civil war split in 1949. | |
| The meeting, on the sidelines of a regional business conference on China's Hainan island, is expected to be short. | |
| Mr Siew is the running-mate of Ma Ying-jeou, who was easily elected as Taiwan's president last month, promising better relations with China. | Mr Siew is the running-mate of Ma Ying-jeou, who was easily elected as Taiwan's president last month, promising better relations with China. |
| 'Renegade province' | 'Renegade province' |
| Mr Siew was already attending the Boao Forum for Asia in his capacity as chairman of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation, a non-profit group that works to improve economic co-operation between Taiwan and China. | Mr Siew was already attending the Boao Forum for Asia in his capacity as chairman of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation, a non-profit group that works to improve economic co-operation between Taiwan and China. |
| "I hope that through this meeting we can deepen the understanding between the two sides and also create a basis for common trust," Mr Siew said on Friday. | "I hope that through this meeting we can deepen the understanding between the two sides and also create a basis for common trust," Mr Siew said on Friday. |
| The meeting between Mr Hu and Mr Siew is expected to last for 20 minutes. | The meeting between Mr Hu and Mr Siew is expected to last for 20 minutes. |
| Relations with China had deteriorated during the eight-year rule of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party under Chen Shui-bian. | Relations with China had deteriorated during the eight-year rule of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party under Chen Shui-bian. |
| Although economic links have steadily tied the island of Taiwan closer to the mainland, China still has hundreds of missiles aimed at Taiwan and bitterly opposes any moves to independence. | Although economic links have steadily tied the island of Taiwan closer to the mainland, China still has hundreds of missiles aimed at Taiwan and bitterly opposes any moves to independence. |
| Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory, and has threatened to use force to reunify it with rest of the country if necessary. |