[Cerberus]

China is ready to talk to Taiwan about ending hostilities, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said at the start of the annual session of China's parliament.

Mr Wen said China was ready to "create conditions for ending the state of hostility" with the island.

Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which split from the mainland at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Relations between the two have improved since last year when a new president, Ma Ying-jeou, was elected in Taiwan.

In the past, Beijing has threatened to use force to bring the self-governed island under mainland rule if it declared formal independence.

'One-China principle'

"Cross-strait relations have embarked on the track of peaceful development," Mr Wen said.

"We are also ready to hold talks on cross-strait political and military issues and create conditions for ending the state of hostility and concluding a peace agreement between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait."

Mr Wen said any talks would be on the basis of the "one-China principle".

Relations reached a low point under Mr Ma's predecessor Chen Shui-bian, when China conducted military exercises on its coast near Taiwan and positioned hundreds of short-range missiles aimed at the island.

The missiles are still there, but as ties have improved under Mr Ma, economic co-operation has improved and direct flights between Taiwan and the mainland have begun. Previously, travellers had to fly via Hong Kong.

Reacting to Mr Wen's overture, Taiwan's government said it would prefer to negotiate economic deals before political ones.

"A peace deal has advantages for both sides," said Tony Wang, spokesman for President Ma.

"But our thought is first to seek economic deals and political ones later," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7925186.stm

[HoniSoit]

"We are also ready to hold talks on cross-strait political and military issues and create conditions for ending the state of hostility and concluding a peace agreement between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait."

Carefully worded and quite moderate in tone without any mention of unification.

It is both against international law to use corecion and unhelpul to deploy hundreds of missiles aimed at Taiwan.

[Vigil of Reason]

"We are also ready to hold talks on cross-strait political and military issues and create conditions for ending the state of hostility and concluding a peace agreement between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait."

So they were not ready before?

[Locke13]

So they were not ready before?

Correct. Not when that git Chen Sui bian was president. The guy you appreciated because he managed to embezzle a few million dollars while still jumping through loop-holes in the law, remember?

[Vigil of Reason]

Not when that git Chen Sui bian was president. The guy you appreciated because he managed to embezzle a few million dollars while still jumping through loop-holes in the law, remember?

This seems to be said only very recently, while Ma was elected last early last year. I am not sure whether there was any special reason they said they were ready to talk only recently. And no, I did not appreciate Chen at all for his embezzlement.

[Locke13]

This seems to be said only very recently, while Ma was elected last early last year. I am not sure whether there was any special reason they said they were ready to talk only recently. And no, I did not appreciate Chen at all for his embezzlement.

Because Chen Sui Bian wants independence and China refuses to go into peace talks because it was completely pointless. I'm not making a personal attack here but honestly, how can you not be aware of this?

[Vigil of Reason]

I'm not making a personal attack here but honestly, how can you not be aware of this?

I am aware of this, and I am also aware of how China-friendly Ma was elected last year March.

[jimjilin]

So Vigil of Reason, I'm curious. Are you a Communist party member?