The meeting between Sinew, left, and Hu Jintao is being seen as a trust building exercise [AFP]
Taiwan's vice president-elect has met China's president in the highest-level political contact between the two sides in almost 60 years.
Vincent Siew met Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia business conference, held on the the south Chinese island of Hainan on Saturday.
The meeting could mark a watershed for relations that have been strained over the past eight years under Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan's former, pro-independence president.
Siew's Nationalist Party, which won elections last month, favours eventual unification with China, although Ma Ying-jeou, the president-elect, has placed the issue on the back burner.
"I hope that through this meeting we can deepen the understanding between the two sides and also create a basis for common trust," Siew said on Friday.
"It's also my hope that through this meeting we can help melt the ice."
Major test
The meeting is seen as the first major test of the incoming Ma administration's ability to bring about better ties with China, a promise that was considered decisive in Ma's poll victory.
Andrew Yang, the secretary-general of The Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies, an independent think-tank, said that the meeting would work as a trust building exercise between the two nations.
"I think this is a symbolic meeting between the two senior leaders from both the sides, because they are willing to set aside disputes and talk to each other. I think that will establish a good communication between the two sides," said Yang.
Ma, the more China-friendly of two candidates in last month's Taiwan election, has vowed to improve relations with the mainland, increase trade, tourism and transport links, and work on a peace treaty to end hostilities.
China has become Taiwan's number one export market and its biggest trading partner.
Two-way trade last year reached a record $102bn. The US has welcome the meeting, describing it as the "best way forward".
"We think that dialogue between the People's Republic of China and the authorities, leaders on Taiwan is the best way forward," John Negroponte, the US deputy secretary of state, in Washington, said.
China hopes the Boao Forum will become the regional version of the Davos meetings.
![The meeting between Sinew, left, and Hu Jintao is being seen as a trust building exercise [AFP]](http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/Asia/A/B/1/2/3/4/Sinew.jpg "The meeting between Sinew, left, and Hu Jintao is being seen as a trust building exercise [AFP]")
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