Lima  - Chinese leader Hu Jintao met with former Taiwanese vice president Lien Chan Friday in Lima, in a historic meeting that was the first high-level encounter between both parties outside China or Taiwan.

The two men met at the Los Delfines Hotel in the Peruvian capital ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting, to which member economy Taiwan has for the first time been able to send a high-level representative.

In a press conference after meeting with Hu, Lien refused to provide details of the actual content of the talks, and said simply that the two parties exchanged "views on APEC's agenda."

"It is very significant for old friends to meet each other far away from Asia," he said.

Lien stressed the fact that "cross-strait relations have moved forward in the direction of peace" and noted that while he and Hu discussed APEC-related economic and trade issues, the two of them "should not avoid other issues."

When asked whether the current context of global economic crisis provides Beijing and Taipei with a specific initiative to press on with deeper and broader ties in search of new markets, Lien did not provide a specific answer.

However, he did note that "how to increase demand and how to provide an adequate supply front" are the key issues of the times.

China has barred Taiwan's president from the annual APEC leaders' meeting since it was launched in 1993. It only allowed Taipei to send an economic official to the meeting, as Beijing still regards Taiwan as China's breakaway province awaiting unification with the motherland.

However, Taipei-Beijing ties are fast improving since the May 20 inauguration of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, and China approved Taiwan's sending Lien to this year's summit.

The choice of a representative is meaningful: Lien, of the China- friendly Nationalist Party, travelled to China in 2005 and met with Hu in the highest-level exchange between the two governments since 1945. Since his trip, cross-strait relations have improved substantially, albeit focused on improving business ties. (dpa)