Landmark China-Taiwan Summit

In a historic summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Taiwanese ruling party chair Wu Poh-hsiung met on Wednesday in what was the highest-level encounter between the two countries in almost 60 years. The summit may mark the beginning of what Taiwan has called a new “chapter of peace,” as leaders discuss cross-strait transport and trade.

The BBC:

The head of Taiwan’s ruling party has met Chinese President Hu Jintao in the highest-level encounter since the two sides split in 1949.

Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung is in China for a six-day landmark visit to discuss cross-strait transport links.

The trip is being seen as another sign of warming ties between the two sides.

Taiwan’s new president, Ma Ying-jeou, has called for a new “chapter of peace” to be opened.

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AP photo / Greg Baker

Hu, right, thanked Wu for Taiwan’s assistance after the recent earthquake in Sichuan province and said: “The love for compatriots shown by the whole Chinese people in time of disaster will become the power to drive cooperation between the compatriots across the strait and create the future together.”