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Taiwan and China have begun the highest-level talks since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Wang Yu-chi and Zhang Zhijun, the top cross-strait officials from each side, are both attending the four-day talks in Nanjing.

No official agenda has been released for the talks, which are widely seen as a confidence-building exercise.

China regards Taiwan as part of its territory. In the past, all talks have gone via quasi-official organizations.

Zhang Zhijun, head of mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said: “It’s impossible to imagine in the past that we could sit here and meet [today].”

“We must have some imagination if [we want to] resolve some difficulties, not just for such a meeting, we should also have a bigger imagination for cross-strait future development,” he added.

Wang Yu-chi, head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, described the meeting as “a new chapter for cross-strait relations”.

“For us to simply sit at the same table, sit down to discuss issues, is already not an easy thing.”

Taiwan and China have begun the highest-level talks since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949

Taiwan and China have begun the highest-level talks since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949

Given the sensitivities, the meeting room had no flags on display, and the officials’ nameplates had no titles or affiliations, AFP news agency reported.

Beijing insists that Taiwan is part of China and has a stated aim of reclaiming the island.

Taiwan still calls itself the Republic of China and nominally claims the same territory as the Communist government in Beijing, although it does not press these claims.

The US is committed to defending Taipei, despite not formally recognizing Taiwan as an independent country.

The situation has created a decades-long military stand-off between Beijing and Washington.

But cross-strait ties have improved since Taiwan’s pro-Beijing President Ma Ying-jeou was elected in 2008.

Cross-strait flights began in 2008, and tourists from the mainland have boosted Taiwan’s economy.

Trade agreements have allowed Taiwanese technology firms to expand massively, investing billions of dollars in the mainland.

However, Ma Ying-jeou is unpopular and analysts say his governing Kuomintang party is likely to lose local elections later this year.

The talks are the first formal government-to-government dialogue since the 1949 split.

Taiwan negotiators are likely to propose the posting of permanent representatives on each other’s territories.

But they will also face pressure to talk about press freedom after China refused accreditation to several media outlets.

Many Taiwanese are sensitive to issues of press freedom, having lived under a dictatorship that tightly controlled the media until the 1980s.

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Gambia has announced that it has severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

President Yahya Jammeh’s office said the move was for reasons of “national strategic interest”.

Gambia was one of a few African countries to recognize Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory.

Correspondents say it is unclear if the move is linked to the development of relations with China, which has a growing influence in Africa.

Despite the announcement, Yahya Jammeh said Gambia hoped to “remain friends” with the Taiwanese people.

“This decision has been taken in our strategic national interest,” a statement from his office read, without elaborating.

“We are proud that we have been a very strong and reliable partner of the Republic of China [Taiwan] for the past 18 years, the results of which are there for every Taiwanese to see.

“Despite the end of diplomatic ties with Taiwan, we will still remain friends with the people of Taiwan.”

Gambia has decided to cut its diplomatic ties with Taiwan

Gambia has decided to cut its diplomatic ties with Taiwan

Taiwan said it was surprised by Gambia’s decision.

“Our government express shock and regret that Gambian President Yahya Jammeh sent a letter to our embassy in Gambia on 14 November to inform us [of] the immediate termination of ties,” Vice Foreign Minister Simon Ko said in Taipei.

“We think this is Jammeh’s personal decision,” he added.

China has been investing heavily in Africa at it relies on the continent for oil and other natural resources.

China and Taiwan split in 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party overthrew the Republic of China (ROC) and founded the People’s Republic on the mainland, forcing the ROC government to retreat to Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

Initially, most African states recognized the Taipei government but their number has steadily declined.

Gambia’s decision means that Swaziland, Sao Tome and Principe and Burkina Faso are the only African countries that remain allies with Taiwan.

However, earlier this week officials in Sao Tome and Principe said China plans to open a trade mission to promote projects there.

It comes 16 years after Beijing broke off relations with the tiny Central African nation over its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan.