Beijing: The leader of Taiwan's new ruling party met today with a senior Communist Party official in Beijing, who called for the rivals to peacefully develop their ties through dialogue.

Wu Poh-hsiung's six-day visit to promote economic engagement came on China s invitation.

The chairman of Taiwan's Nationalist Party arrived today in Beijing for discussions with Jia Qinglin, the fourth-most-powerful person in the Communist Party. Though in the past Beijing has threatened to attack Taiwan if the self-ruled island seeks a permanent break, the rhetoric has become decidedly more amiable since Nationalist Ma Ying-jeou took office as Taiwan's president less than a week ago.

The two sides should peacefully develop relations by shelving their differences and seeking common views, Jia was cited as saying by China's official Xinhua News Agency.

Jia also expressed his support for two of Ma's proposals, which called for direct weekend flights between the mainland and Taiwan and expanding the number of mainland tourists allowed to the island.

In the last century, the Nationalists fought a bloody civil war with the Chinese communists on the mainland. The Nationalists defeated forces fled in 1949 and settled on Taiwan, separated by a 160-kilometre-wide strait. China demands unification.

The ice between the sides was first broken in 2005 when then-Chairman Lien Chan of the Nationalist Party - the biggest opposition party at the time - made a historic visit to China. Relations have warmed further since Ma was elected president in March.

Source : PTI