This Wednesday, Chinese president Xi Jinping met veteran and Taiwanese politician James Soong in Beijing, which was the latest step in gradually improving relations between China and long-time opponent Taiwan.

The official news agency of China, Xinhua, reported that the meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People, and suggested that it involved the two politicians more in a party capacity than an official one.

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President Xi Jinping is also the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, as well as the leader of the armed forces.

James Soon, former Governor of Taiwan and presidential candidate, is currently Chairman of the People First Party, an ally of the ruling Koumintang party of Taiwan.

During the meeting Soong reportedly urged Xi to try to understand the Taiwanese people and their urge to become truly independent as a response to Xi's continued stance of preventing Taiwan's independence.

Soong went on to explain that the Taiwanese leadership has undergone changes that the mainland leadership in Beijing must understand in dealing with Taiwan, specifically a more prominent sense of autonomy.

Historically, China and Taiwan have been involved in varying stages of diplomatic conflict since 1949, when the Koumintang, the former leadership, were forced out of the Chinese mainland into exile on the island of Taiwan thus forming the Republic of China.

Since then, the relationship between the two nations has been strained, with neither of the parties acknowledging the other as the legal China, and claiming de jure ownership over each other's territories.

In later years however, Taiwan's stance has been one more inclined to gaining proper formal independence from mainland China rather than claiming it to be their own.

The People's Republic of China on the other hand continues to view Taiwan as a province awaiting reunification.

Relations between the two nations have thawed since the 2008 elections in Taiwan, when Koumintang leader Ma Ying-jeou became president, who vowed to strengthen trade with its former opponent.

In later years since, several unofficial and official meetings have been held between officials of either nation, though the progress of said meetings have been described as mere "baby steps" official sources say until earlier this year.

In February this year the Minister of Mainland Affairs Counsil, Wang Yu-chi of the Republic of China, met with the Director of Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhang Zhijun of the People's Republic of China, in Nanjing, marking the first official contact between representatives of their respective governments since 1949.

The parties discussed, among other things, issues of health insurance for Taiwanese students studying in the mainland.

More importantly, the two parties agreed on keeping an open and direct line of communication between the two nations, and to establish offices in each other's territories to improve foreign relations.

TagsTaiwan, Meeting, Chinese Communist Party, Koumintang, People First Party, Zhang Zhijun, Wang Yu-chi