China-Taiwan Talks a Landmark

China's president met today with the leader of Taiwan's governing party, the BBC reports, in the highest-level talks between the two entities since the split in 1949. Wu Poh-hsiung is visiting China to discuss cooperation on transport and tourism, and pressed Hu Jintao for a greater global presence for the island; Hu expressed gratitude for Taiwan's role in earthquake relief.

"The love for compatriots shown by the whole Chinese people in time of disaster will become the power to drive cooperation between the compatriots across the strait and create the future together," Hu said. Wu, too, praised cooperation: "We cannot guarantee there won't be any natural disasters … but through our mutual efforts, we can ensure there is no war." (More Taiwan stories.)