Mainland, Taiwan agree to resume dialogue

President Hu Jintao and Kuomintang chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said that semi-official talks between Taiwan and mainland should be revived as soon as possible, the Financial Times reported. During a live televised meeting in Beijing Wednesday, the two leaders agreed to work to resume dialogue between the Straits Exchange Foundation and the Association for Relations Across the Strait, which has been suspended since 1999. Wu, on a visit to increase economic ties with the mainland, told reporters that his first priority was to begin weekend cross-strait charter flights and allow mainland tourists to visit Taiwan, proposals first put forward by newly-elected president Ma Ying-jeou and supported by Hu. Wu said he had also stressed Taiwan’s need for an international diplomatic presence. The People’s Republic has made efforts in recent years to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.