BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have improved a lot since the historic meeting between leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) in May last year.
"A series of major achievements have been made in relations across the Taiwan Straits since that meeting, opening a prospect for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations," said General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao when he met with the KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung in Beijing last month.
On May 28, 2008, Hu and Wu met at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. It was the first meeting between leaders of the two parties since the last election in Taiwan that saw Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party routed at the polls by the KMT.
During that meeting, Hu called for resuming exchanges and talks between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) as early as possible. Hu said the talks should be based on the 1992 Consensus.
During their meeting on May 26 this year, Hu and Wu reviewed the significant progress and achievement made during the past year and further discussed ways to push forward the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.
Analysts here said the improvement of cross-Straits ties represents the aspirations of the people and conforms to present trends, while communications and cooperation between the two sides has brought substantial benefits for the people.
The historic changes in cross-Straits relations and breakthroughs made via negotiations and talks in the past year are attributed to both the CPC and KMT's respect for history, reality and people's wishes.
With the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" serving as common ground, the two sides seized a rare opportunity, adopted active measures and carried out positive interactions.
In the spirit of building trust, laying aside disputes, seeking consensus and shelving difference, and creating a win-win situation, the two sides found ways to expand communication and cooperation, promote negotiations and handle complicated problems. They have accumulated useful experience.
The two sides made clear the goals of the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and maximized their efforts to win the understanding, support and joint efforts of all social sectors across the Taiwan Straits, which had won international applause and support.
To improve cross-Straits relations, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan also agreed to address easy issues first while leaving difficult problems for later, which has proved to be a correct way to make progress in promoting the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.
The peaceful development of cross-Straits relations over the past year has made preparations and created conditions for both sides to upgrade their interaction.
Following are major events signaling improved relations across the Taiwan Straits.
During the interval of the two meetings between Hu and Wu, ARATS and SEF, two organizations authorized by the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-Straits issues, held three rounds of talks in June 2008, November 2008 and April 2009.
During the first two talks, the two signed agreements on weekend charter flights, tourism, direct shipping, air transport, postal services and food safety. In their latest round of talks held in in Nanjing from April 25-26, they focused on regular cross-straits flights, joint efforts on cracking down on crime, and financial cooperation.
On Dec. 15, 2008, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services amid warming ties, ending decades of practice that air and sea movements – including mail -- had to go by way of a third place -- usually Hong Kong or Macao.
Tourism to Taiwan was boosted. As of May 15, more than 300,000 mainland tourists have traveled to the island while the figure is expected to surpass 600,000 this year.
On Dec. 31, Hu offered six proposals to promote the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relationship in a speech to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the mainland's "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan".
Hu said the mainland is willing to discuss with Taiwan proper and reasonable arrangements for Taiwan's participation in activities of international organizations, as long as this does not create a scenario of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan".
In May, China's State Council announced a plan to support the development of an economic zone on the western side of the Taiwan Straits. The plan is aimed to boost development in a region led by Fujian Province and promote cooperation between the region and Taiwan.
In the Straits Forum which opened in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen in May, Wang Yi, director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, announced measures aimed at expanding mainland's business investment in Taiwan.
Wang encouraged companies to buy more Taiwan-made products, invited Taiwan businesses to take part in the mainland's construction of infrastructure and key projects, pledged to send more mainland tourists to the island, and beef up agricultural cooperation.
Those measures also include opening up more mainland professional qualification tests to Taiwan residents and allow Taiwan's law firms to open branches in Fujian Province.
Those measures meant that more Taiwan enterprises would benefit from the mainland's 4-trillion yuan (585.3 billion U.S. dollars) economic stimulus package. The Chinese mainland announced the package in November last year to boost domestic demand and economic growth amid global economic downturn.
A series of economic stimulus plans put forward by the mainland has brought to the Taiwan businessmen direct benefits and market confidence.
The past 12 months also witnessed increasing contact and mutual support between people on the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, such as the donations and contributions from Taiwan when the mainland was hit by a magnitude-8.0 earthquake last May, and contributions from Taiwan people for the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. (Xinhua writer Tian Ye also contributed to this report)
