China To Taiwan: Parity, Pandas

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.

The offer of the giant pandas was widely expected in Taiwan — late last week, officials there already were bickering about what to name the animals.

But it wasn't immediately clear if the Taiwan government would accept the offer. A similar gesture by Beijing years ago was refused because Taipei feared they were part of a plot to foster unification.

At present, the political estrangement between the two sides has limited travel and other contacts, although business ties have grown increasingly strong.

Taiwan now only allows mainland nationals who have lived outside of China for several years to visit the island in groups that are closely monitored by the authorities.

China's offer to allow more fruit imports from Taiwan would increase the number of species allowed to be brought in from the island to 18 species from the current 12, Xinhua said.

It said a zero tariff would be allowed on more than 10 species.

The mainland side has already prepared its customs, inspection and quarantine procedures for the change in policy, the report said.

Details of the current policy on fruit imports were not immediately available.