Nanjing talks to open new era of cross-strait ties
First summit of government officials from Beijing and Taipei in six decades will likely set stage for more meetings between old rivals
Relations between Beijing and Taipei are expected to enter a new era today when representatives from both governments begin a landmark summit in Nanjing .
It promises to be the first time since the end of the civil war in 1949 that government officials from the two sides will talk face to face in their official capacities.
Zhang Zhijun of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office was due to meet Wang Yu-chi, the chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees cross-strait polices, at the Purple Palace Hotel in the former capital.
"Both sides are expected to exchange views on setting up a mechanism for direct communication between the two bodies, protecting freedom of the press and ensuring a balanced flow of news and information across the strait," a Mainland Affairs Council spokeswoman said.
Wang was also likely to raise issues including both sides setting up representative offices, allowing family visits to Taiwanese being held in custody on the mainland and medical care for Taiwanese students studying across the Taiwan Strait.
The spokeswoman said Wang would not raise the question of a possible landmark summit between President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and it was up to mainland officials if they wanted to discuss the topic.
