China To Taiwan: Parity, Pandas

China Offers Giant Pandas As Conciliatory Gesture To Neighbor

(AP)  In a symbolic gesture that capped a groundbreaking visit by the Taiwanese opposition leader, China said Tuesday it was presenting a pair of giant pandas to "compatriots of Taiwan."

The decision was announced by Chen Yunlin, director of the Communist Party's Taiwan Work Office, on behalf of the party Central Committee and State Council, or Cabinet, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. It did not elaborate.

Chen also announced that "relevant departments" of China's government would soon allow mainland residents to travel to Taiwan as tourists and that Beijing would cut import tariffs on fruit from Taiwan, Xinhua reported.

Lien Chan, head of Taiwan's Nationalist Party, was preparing to return home Tuesday following an eight-day visit, the highest level contact between the two sides since the Nationalists fled to the island after the 1949 communist conquest of the mainland.

Lien and Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday issued a joint pledge to promote an end to hostilities between the sides. On Monday, Lien called again for peace talks, saying mainland leaders appear more responsive to Taiwanese proposals on settling their 59-year-old feud than in the past.

Later Monday, on the final evening of his visit, Lien dined with Shanghai's mayor and other officials.

Beijing claims that Taiwan is Chinese territory to be regained by force if necessary.

Lien said Hu's comments, coming after China passed a law last month authorizing military force to stop Taiwan from pursuing formal independence, show that peace talks are the "core issue."

Lien's call for peace talks was echoed Monday by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian.

"The door for dialogue and negotiation is still open between the two sides," Chen said in a speech Monday during an official visit to the Marshall Islands.