China-Taiwan talks set for next month

BEIJING, May 30 (UPI) -- China and Taiwan are set to resume cross-Strait talks next month in Beijing in another sign of improving relations.

Negotiations to pave the way for regular weekend charter flights and tourism are scheduled to begin June 11, China Daily reported Friday. Taiwan wants regular direct charter flights across the Straits to start by July with daily visits by up to 3,000 mainland tourists.

The sessions will be based on the so-called "1992 Consensus" in which both sides agreed there is only one China, but left each side to interpret its meaning.

The meetings will be conducted by the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), China's designated body to deal with Taiwan, and its Taiwanese counterpart, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

The breakthrough for the talks, stalled for the past decade, comes following the mainland China visit of Taiwan's Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung, who met with Chinese President Hu Jintao. The KMT came to power with the election of President Ma Ying-jeou. Ma campaigned for improved relations with China which claims the island nation as part of its territory.

Cross-Strait talks were suspended in 1999 after former Taiwan leaders' "two states" remarks.