China, Taiwan in highest-level talks thus far

Taiwan and China are holding their highest-level talks since splitting 65 years ago, hoping to further boost contacts and ease lingering tensions, even as political developments on the self-governing island swing away from Beijing's goal of eventual unification, AP reported. Tuesday's discussions in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing constitute the highest-level interaction between government officials of the two sides since the 1949 division - apparently a concession from Beijing which otherwise refuses to formally acknowledge Taiwan's government. No official agenda has been released, but Taiwan's lead negotiator Wang Yu-chi says he hopes to discuss setting up of permanent representative offices on each other's territory and will push for greater Taiwanese representation in international organizations.