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It was a simple handshake but it carried immense significance. The meeting in Beijing of Chinese President Hu Jintao and the chairman of the Kuomintang was the highest-level contact between the two sides since the civil war ended in 1949.
It follows calls this month from Taiwan's newly elected president for an easing of hostilities that have plagued relations for almost 50 years. The fierce rhetoric that characterised the dealings between Beijing and Taipei during the eight-year term of the previous Taiwan president, Chen Shui-bian, has significantly softened.
Civil wars are the most bitter and China still bears the political scars of the fighting. But there is a growing realisation on both sides that it is time for greater co-operation and that the time for sabre-rattling is well and truly over. The establishment of direct flights would be a major step forward and this is likely to happen in the near future. Political union between the two sides is still some way off but culturally and economically both now seem to agree that there should be greater interaction. Concentrating on issues where they have common ground will pay greater dividends than looking at what divides them.
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