TAIWAN: The last time a leader of the nationalist Kuomintang stood on the soil of mainland China, it was 1949, they had just lost a bitter civil war to Mao Zedong's communists and they were fleeing for their lives to the island of Taiwan.
The nationalists went on to rule in Taiwan for half a century, but the visit yesterday by Kuomintang leader Lien Chan, now head of the Taiwanese opposition, was the first time communists and nationalists had met on the mainland since the end of the civil war.
And what an encounter it was. Mr Lien was given the full red-carpet treatment on arrival in the eastern city of Nanjing, where he visited the tomb of Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary who founded the Kuomintang 110 years ago and served as China's president from 1923 until his death in 1925.
Mr Lien said he believed his visit to the mainland would be a "historic first step" for the promotion of cross-strait relations.
"Nanjing is not far away from Taipei in space, but it has taken more than 60 years for us to revisit this city," said Mr Lien as he arrived in the city for a visit he has called a "mission of peace".
The visit of Mr Lien is a propaganda coup for the Communist Party and a blow for what Beijing sees as President Chen Shui-bian's efforts to declare Taiwan independence.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has pointed about 700 missiles at the democratically ruled island, making the Taiwan Strait one of Asia's most dangerous hot spots.
Tensions have been heightened by Beijing's enactment of an anti-secession law in March, which sanctioned non-peaceful measures against Taiwan should it try to declare independence.
Mr Lien, the former vice-president of Taiwan, will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao during his eight-day visit and will also go to Xian, the town of his birth, and Shanghai, where he will meet members of the city's sizeable Taiwanese business community.
Mr Lien lost two successive presidential elections to President Chen, in 2000 and 2004.
The Kuomintang favours eventual unification with a democratic China.
Cross-strait tensions have been high of late. China's parliament last month passed an anti-secession law, which caused huge protests in Taiwan.
Pro-independence supporters in Taipei protested against the trip, calling Mr Lien a traitor playing into the hands of Beijing in order to alienate the independence-leaning President Chen.
The nationalists of Chiang Kai-shek and the communists under Mao joined forces to fight the Japanese in the second World War but then split along ideological lines, forcing a bloody civil war.
However, President Chen adopted a cautious stance, wishing Mr Lien well on his visit but warning against entering into any agreements with Beijing.
The president initially condemned the Kuomintang for kowtowing to China, but has softened his approach since Mr Lien said he was travelling in a private capacity and would not negotiate, or sign, any agreements with Mr Hu. Analysts say hopes are high that the visit, which follows a preliminary trip by Kuomintang vice-chairman Chiang Pin-kung in March, will help reduce tensions between the military foes.