China set for landmark Taiwan talks...1st high level talks since 1949

[link to m.bbc.co.uk]

China and Taiwan are about to begin the highest-level talks since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Taiwanese officials said they would raise press freedom after Beijing denied access to some media outlets to the four-day meeting in Nanjing.

Beijing is likely to push Taiwan to pass a free trade deal that is currently stalled in parliament.

China insists that Taiwan is a part of its territory and has a stated aim of reclaiming the island.

Taiwan still calls itself the Republic of China and nominally claims the same territory as the Communist government in Beijing, although it does not press these claims.

The US is committed to defending Taipei, despite not formally recognising Taiwan as an independent country.

The situation has created a decades-long military stand-off between Beijing and Washington.

But cross-strait ties have improved since Taiwan's pro-Beijing President Ma Ying-jeou was elected in 2008.

Cross-strait flights began in 2008, and tourists from the mainland have boosted Taiwan's economy.

Trade agreements have allowed Taiwanese technology firms to expand massively, investing billions of dollars in the mainland.

However, Mr Ma is deeply unpop

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