China’s President Hu Jintao said Taiwan opposition Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan is a friend and stressed the need to soothe the rivalry between the mainland China and rebelian island.

The highest-ranked meeting ever in the relations between China and Taiwan showed that the Chinese are able to resolve the dispute and start new peaceful relations, Mr. Hu said calling his counterparts ``friends from afar.’’

``The pains of history kept us apart for 56 years. We should put history behind us and look forward to advanced ties,’’ said Lien.

The two governments that separated some 56 years ago after the Nationalists fled to Taiwan escaping from Mao Zedong who led Communists and since then China led the policy of forcing Taiwan to join the mainland China and refused to have relations with the countries that acknowledged Taiwan.

The political tension though have no impact on the economic relations worth $100 billion in 2004.