The chief officials from Chinese mainland and Taiwan formally met on February 11, 2014, the first time since 1949. A formal meeting was held between Zhang Zhijun, the head of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office and Wang Yu-Chi, the mainland affairs chief of Taiwan.
Yu-chi arrived in Nanjing – which is the capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province – on February 11, 2014 and will be staying in the country for four days. During an opening speech at the meeting, Zhang said that the two sides are looking to open a regular communication channel between the cross-Straits affairs departments. Zhang went on to say that the communication channel is a result of a profound mutual political trust, which is the result of adhering to the 1992 consensus.
The state council head added, “I believe, with this arrangement, the two sides will improve exchanges, understanding and mutual trust, and better handle outstanding problems in cross-Straits exchanges”. The meeting between the two sides is considered to be an important breakthrough in promoting the cross-Straits relations and might lead to regular visits in the upcoming period.
Zhang also said that they meet under great attention and expectations and also bear great responsibilities. The state head added that the two sides are heading towards a straightforward direction and will not take long to fulfill their purposes.
Photo Credits: CNA
