NEW YORK TIMES: …Following the 2008 election of President Ma Ying-jeou, who favors closer ties with the mainland, Beijing has taken a more conciliatory approach. Cross-strait trade has nearly doubled over the course of Mr. Ma’s presidency, reaching $197 billion last year. Nearly three million Chinese traveled to Taiwan last year, constituting the largest single group of visitors following Taiwan’s easing of restrictions on mainland arrivals starting in 2008…
Tuesday’s talks focused on ways to improve and formalize communications between the two sides. The two sides discussed trade and Taiwan’s participation in regional economic agreements…
[Wang Yu-chi, head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council] also raised consular-type visits to Taiwanese detained on the mainland, health insurance for Taiwanese students studying in China and fair treatment of Taiwanese journalists working there, the Mainland Affairs Council said… (more)
