TAIPEI - THE head of Taiwan's ruling party will meet China's president this week, the highest-level contact in more than 60 years as the two sides prepare to resume talks stalled for a decade next month.

Kuomintang (KMT) chairman Wu Poh-hsiung will fly to Beijing on Monday and will meet President Hu Jintao on Wednesday, underscoring a rapid improvement in ties since the island's change of government.

Ma Ying-jeou was sworn in as president on May 20, ending an eight-year hiatus in KMT rule during which Taipei's relations with Beijing plummeted under the pro-independence Chen Shui-bian.

Top of the agenda would be starting weekend passenger charter and cargo flights as well as allowing more Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan, said Lai Shin-yuan, the island's new top China policy-maker.

Direct links have been cut since the two sides split in 1949 after the nationalist KMT fled to Taiwan after defeat by Mao Zedong's Communists in a civil war.

While Mr Chen's antagonism of Beijing annoyed the United States, which feared a military confrontation, analysts say Mr Ma's burgeoning love affair with the mainland is also making Taiwan's allies uncomfortable.

While both the United States and Japan welcome a reduction in military tensions, they would prefer to see Taipei remaining in its own camp, according to the analysts.

'Maintaining the cross-Strait status quo would be in the biggest interest of the United States and Japan,' said Chang Hsien-chao, assistant professor of National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung.

'The Ma administration's steps to reach out to China in a fast manner may have caused concern for Washington and Tokyo, fearing it may get out of control and accelerate integration with China,' added Lo Chih-cheng, political science professor of Soochow University in Taipei.

However, this week's meeting has more symbolic than practical importance, he said.

'The trip may have a greater symbolic implication than a physical agreement ... they may try to create a friendly atmosphere to pave way for the resumption of talks,' Mr Lo said.

Several stumbling blocks stand in the way of closer ties, including Beijing and Taipei's battle for diplomatic recognition abroad as the sole Chinese capital.

Another stumbling bloc is Taiwan's international space. 'Both sides need some efforts to solve the issue which is hard to avoid,' said Jia Qingguo, professor of Beijing University.

Mr Ma has called for a 'ceasefire' in the war, in which both sides court countries with cash and investment.

But he has repeatedly said he is not seeking either reunification or independence.

Only 23 nations around the world formally recognise self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing says is part of its territory and has no right to conduct diplomacy.

The two last held top-level dialogue in 1995 but China suspended follow-up talks to protest a visit to the US the same year by Taiwan's then-president Lee Teng-hui. -- AFP

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