Taipei - Taiwan and China, in a historic move toward reconciliation, on Friday launched weekend charter flights and allowed Chinese tour groups to visit Taiwan.

The move paves the way for launching regular flights and economic integration. The following is a chronology of the main events in Taipei-Beijing ties:

1949: Chinese Communists win the Chinese Civil War and found People's Republic of China (PRC). Chiang Kai-shek flees to Taiwan to set up ROC's government-in-exile. President Chiang vows to recover the Chinese mainland from the Communist rebels.

1955: Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai says Beijing is willing to solve the Taiwan issue through peaceful means, and wants to discuss details with Taiwan leaders. China's slogan changed from liberate Taiwan by force to liberate Taiwan through peaceful means.

1971: The UN expels ROC to admit PRC as the representative of China.

1975: President Chiang Kai-shek dies, succeeded by Vice President Yen Chia-kan.

1978: Chiang's son Chiang Ching-kuo becomes president.

1979: China calls Taiwan to open postal, trade and transport link - nicknamed Three Links - with China to pave the way for unification.

1979: Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping says Taiwan can reunify with the mainland under the model of "one country, two systems."

1979: The US switches diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, but signs the Taiwan Relations Act promising to continue to supply defensive arms to Taiwan.

1987: Taiwan ends martial law, allows residents to visit China mainland relatives.

1988: Chiang Ching-kuo dies, succeeded by Vice President Lee Teng-hui.

1992: Taiwan and China representatives agree in Hong Kong that the two sides accept there is one China, but while China regards Taiwan is part of China, Taiwan believes there was a unified China in history but it has been split since 1949. This agreement became known as the '92 Consensus and paved the way for the 1993 dialogue.

1993: Taiwan and China hold their first dialogue, in Singapore, followed by a dozen follow-up talks held in Taipei and Beijing to settle legal disputes, fishing quarrels and deportation of Chinese job seekers and plane hijackers.

1995: China halts the dialogue and holds war games to retaliate against Lee Teng-hui's advocating Taiwan independence.

1999: Lee Teng-hui defines Taiwan-China ties as state-to-state relationship. China warns that Lee's remark could bring disaster to Taiwan people.

2000: Chen Shui-bian, a leader of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), becomes president, ending the KMT's 5-decade rule on Taiwan. Chen promises not to seek independence so long as China does not attack Taiwan.

2002: President Chen says Taiwan and China are one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait, prompting China to blast him as a splittist bringing Taiwan and China to the brink of war.

2005: Chinese parliament enacts the Anti-Secession Law, giving China the legal base to attack Taiwan if Taipei declares independence.

2005: Lien Chan, chairman of Taiwan's opposition party KMT, visits China to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Lien and Hu issue joint statement pledging to join hands in seeking cross-strait peace.

2008: Ma Ying-jeou from the now pro-China KMT wins presidential election. Ma promises not to seeking Taiwan independence and to seek peace and economic integration with China. KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung visits China to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao to discuss cross-strait peace.

2008: Taiwan, China launch weekend charter flights and allow mainland tourists visit Taiwan. (dpa)