June 27, 1999
Web posted at: 6:12 p.m. EST (2312 GMT)

MESSAGE BOARD: China tomorrow

BEIJING (CNN) -- Taiwan's senior negotiator Jan Jih-hong landed in Beijing on Sunday as the two Chinas prepared for a historic visit to the island by a top mainland official.

Jan is on a mission to work out the details of a visit later this year by Wang Daohan, Beijing's top envoy on Taiwan affairs. The visit will make Wang the highest-ranking official of the People's Republic to visit the island since Taiwan's ruling Nationalist Party was defeated on the mainland by Mao Tse-tung's communist revolution in 1949.

Taiwan's senior statesman Koo Cheng-foo made an unprecedented visit to Shanghai and Beijing last fall, and Wang's trip would return the gesture. It would also symbolize Beijing's willingness to hold a regular dialogue with the island it considers a renegade province.

But while Jan was welcomed by his Beijing counterparts, the diplomats were not expected to see eye-to-eye on how those talks should proceed.

Taiwan wants a regular dialogue on practical issues, like the repatriation of illegal mainland immigrants and hijackers. The government would also like to discuss other problems such as trade disputes, smuggling, drug trafficking and fishing disputes.

Beijing, on the other hand, says routine discussions are not appropriate without first holding political talks on Taiwan's return to mainland Chinese rule.

Beijing broke off earlier attempts at talks after Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui visited the United States in 1995. Tensions mounted further when Beijing conducted missile exercises off Taiwan's coast the following spring.

Lee continues to insist the island is not interested in reunification until China becomes a democracy - just like Taiwan.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.