China took a step towards better relations with Taiwan today with the symbolic offer of a pair of giant pandas as well as important concessions on fruit imports and tourism.

The offers were made after an historic visit to the mainland by a Taiwanese opposition leader raised hopes for a rapprochement.

"We hope the pandas, with their tame nature, air of nobleness and cuddly looks will bring joy and laughter to the Taiwan compatriots, children in particular," said Chen Yunlin, director of China's Taiwan Work Office.

Taiwan reciprocated by inviting the Chinese President, Hu Jintao to visit the island. But Beijing reacted coolly to the invitation, rejecting any official contact until the Taiwanese ruling party drops a clause in its constitution calling for formal independence.

The panda gift and economic concessions came as goodwill gestures at the end of a trip to the mainland by Lien Chan, the Taiwanese opposition leader. Mr Lien was the first chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalist Party, to set foot on mainland China since 1949, when the Communists swept the KMT from power and into exile on Taiwan.

His visit appeared designed to put pressure on President Chen Shui-ban, Taiwan's nationalist leader, to improve relations with the mainland. In a bid to regain the initiative, President Chen today invited the Chinese president to visit Taiwan.

"Mainland China clearly lacks understanding about Taiwan and that is why there has been misjudgment and misunderstanding," he told a news conference during a visit to the South Pacific nation of Kiribati.

China’s policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office declined to comment on the invitation. It said however that talks with President Chen were impossible until he recognised a 1992 consensus that Taiwan is part of China, and until his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) dropped its independence-seeking constitution.

"So long as they can carry out the above points, the two sides should be able to return to dialogue and consultations," Wang Zaixi, vice chairman of the Taiwan Affairs Office, told a news conference.

Rounding off his eight-day visit, Mr Lien said that the trip "finished very happily, smoothly and successfully". Beijing's economic concessions - and the important symbolic offer of the endangered pandas - gives the KMT leader ammunition to help deflect criticism from those in Taiwan who accuse him of selling out the island’s interests.

His success could boost his party’s platform of unification with China, while undermining President Chen’s independence-leaning policies. In March, China passed a law authorising military action should Taiwan attempt to gain independence.

"The problem with cross-strait relations is that the mainland doesn’t have sufficient understanding of Taiwan, so they misjudged the situation," the Taiwanese president said today.

Mr Lien began his trip in Nanjing, the capital when the Nationalists ruled China, and traveled to Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai. "Wherever we went, we were welcomed by citizens who came voluntarily to show their friendship," he said. "This is the most precious experience for us to remember for every member of the delegation."

China will send two pandas to "compatriots of Taiwan", according to Chen Yunlin of the Taiwan Work Office. Chen Yunlin said China would soon allow mainland tourists to visit Taiwan, and that Beijing would cut tariffs on Taiwanese fruit and increase the number of species that could be imported from 12 to 18.

The offer of the giant pandas - a traditional tool of Chinese diplomacy - was widely expected in Taiwan. Officials there were already bickering last week about what to call them.

One of the greatest concerns of President Chen's DPP is that China will insist Taiwan accept the pandas as a local Chinese government rather than as a self-governing entity.

"If we accept the pandas that means we’re admitting ourselves we’re a local government," said Hsu Kuo-yung, a DPP spokesman. "Our lovely next generation is more important than these two lovely animals."

But President Chen said the only thing that mattered was that Taiwan would have to respect international treaties on protected wildlife.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Afghanistan News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Mandela’s tribe threatens President Zuma
• The French empire strikes back
• Wife of cheating governor exacts a political revenge