Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his annual New Year's Eve address, reiterated his claim that Taiwan would "surely be reunified" with China.

Samsung Electronics said the global technology industry is in search of alternative sources for advanced semiconductors given rising political risks.

The video conference meeting between the two leaders, which lasted more than three-and-a-half hours represented their most substantial discussion since Biden took office in January, and comes at a time of particularly high tension.

US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken directly with the president of Taiwan - breaking with US policy set in 1979, when formal relations were cut.

Ms Tsai's presidency is expected to see a change in the relationship between Taipei and Beijing.

In her victory speech, she vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China, adding Beijing must respect Taiwan's democracy and both sides must ensure there are no provocations.

A state-controlled Chinese company's plan to invest about $2 billion in the Taiwanese semiconductor industry has intensified election-year concerns in Taiwan that could set back China's ambitions to develop a leading-edge microchip industry.

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Singapore on Saturday - the first ever meeting between leaders of the two sides.

Taiwan's securities regulator and the stock exchange have in recent days let slip that individual investors from the mainland may be able to begin investing in Taiwan's stock market by the third quarter of 2015.

Taiwan's China-friendly ruling party lost a slew of traditional strongholds in local elections on Saturday, triggering the resignation of the island's premier and the cabinet.

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

New Zealand on Wednesday signed a free trade agreement with Taiwan in a deliberately low-key ceremony designed to demonstrate the South Pacific nation's fealty to its formal relations with mainland China.

Trading of the Chinese yuan in Taiwan got off to a slow start Wednesday, with many traders preferring to do business in Hong Kong because of the market's greater liquidity.

Fubon Financial, one of the most aggressive Taiwanese financial firms expanding into the Chinese market, said on Thursday it will buy an 80% stake in China's Firstsino Bank for CNY6.45 billion (US$1.03 billion).

Beijing's attempt to make the renminbi a global currency took a step forward on Friday with an agreement that will let banks in Taiwan clear transactions in the Chinese currency.

China and Taiwan have signed their first investor-protection agreement in the latest sign of the momentum behind President Ma Ying-jeou's drive to strengthen his country's relationship with China, its biggest trade partner and frequent political adversary.

China has pledged CNY600 billion (US$95 billion) in bank loans to investors from Taiwan as part of its effort to build stronger ties with the island, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, citing a senior Chinese official.

Taiwanese banks are urging regulators to raise a cap on stakes Chinese banks can hold in them to 20% from 5% as they push to get a bigger share of the huge mainland market at a faster pace and offset a lack of growth opportunities at home.

Sean Chen, the new premier, said on Monday that Taiwan needed to move beyond export manufacturing to design, research and development - products should not only be made in Taiwan, but also designed by Taiwan.

But it is also clear that a large number of Taiwanese remain sceptical about the downside of President Ma's policy towards China.

China has forgone blustery warnings and war games in the run-up to Taiwan's presidential election this weekend, and will likely take a measured response even if the independence-leaning opposition unseats friendlier incumbent Ma Ying-jeou.

Taiwan businesses have called for a law on industrial espionage, especially by China, as growing ties have made it easier for mainland firms to steal secrets, officials and media said Thursday.

Taiwan may consider a peace treaty with political rival China in 10 years, but only if the Taiwanese people agree and there is sufficient trust between the two sides, said President Ma Ying-jeou.

Taiwan has lifted a decades-old ban on travel to the island by individual Chinese tourists, saying visitors would act as "peace ambassadors" for the former arch foe. The first batch of independent mainland tourists, from Beijing, Shanghai and the city of Xiamen on the southeast coast, will arrive next Tuesday (June 28).

China will relax a decades-old ban on travel to Taiwan by individuals under a pilot scheme starting June 28, the government said Sunday, responding to growing demand amid a thaw between the two sides.

A warning from a government trade council in Taiwan highlights concerns that the island has become increasingly isolated by the burgeoning network of free trade agreements connecting Asia and the rest of the world.

China has called on Taiwanese companies to ensure work safety after a deadly explosion last week at a plant operated by Foxconn where Apple's iPad2 was being assembled. An initial investigation showed that the accident may have been caused by an explosion of combustible dust in the polishing workshop.

Despite past political tensions, enterprising Taiwanese had long been doing business in China. However, it was only until after a financial memorandum of understanding was signed in 2009 that Taiwanese banks were able to follow suit.

It may seem strange this has not happened before - Chinese students make up some of the largest groups of foreign students in many countries, including the US and UK.

Chinese companies will be allowed to buy a stake of as much as 10% in Taiwanese technology companies, according to a proposal by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The arrest of a Taiwanese general accused of spying for China is a warning to Taiwan to be wary of its old foe despite warming economic links that are likely to stay unscathed by the case.

The medical and health agreement will help the two sides set up a system to share information about infectious diseases, ensure drug safety and develop new medicines, as well as address emergency medical needs, according to the Straits Exchange Foundation.

China's top negotiator for Taiwan Chen Yunlin is scheduled to meet his Taiwanese counterpart for talks on December 21. The talks will focus on epidemic-control measures and joint R&D of medicines, herbal medicines and emergency treatment.

China is awarding a peace prize to counter the Nobel recognizing imprisoned democracy campaigner Liu Xiaobo. Organizers of the Confucius Peace Prize will honor former Taiwanese vice president Lien Chan in Beijing for his efforts at building peace between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

A trade pact between China and Taiwan, widely seen as the most significant agreement since civil war divided them in 1949, has come into effect.

Bank of China and Bank of Communications have applied to become the first mainland China banks to set up representative offices in Taiwan, according to the island's Financial Supervisory Commission.

Several lawmakers were injured on July 7 as rival politicians clashed on the first day of a parliamentary debate on a controversial new trade pact with China.

China and Taiwan signed a tariff-slashing trade pact Tuesday that boosts economic ties and further eases political tensions six decades after the rivals split amid civil war. Beijing hopes the deal, signed live on on state television, can lead to political accommodation. Taiwan is looking for the tighter economic links to keep the island from being marginalized as China's global clout grows.

But the opposition certainly has reason to be suspicious. While Taiwanese negotiators did not get everything they asked for - PVC and polyethylene, important Taiwanese exports, were left out after months of wrangling.

Taiwan and China on June 14 launched a new flight between Taipei and Shanghai that will cut the time travellers spend on their journey, according to officials. Three airlines from Taiwan and one from China will service the route, which links Sungshan airport, in downtown Taipei, and Hongqiao airport in Shanghai.