Taiwan's main opposition party, previously known for its anti-China stance, on Wednesday vowed to improve ties with Beijing following a setback in January presidential elections.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced it will set up a China affairs division to "show its goodwill" as a first step towards promoting relations with China.
"The division will observe and understand China in a continuous and comprehensive fashion and will also allow China to get a better understanding of the DPP," party chairman Su Tseng-chang said in a statement.
"The DPP expresses its goodwill and hopes to interact with China in a confident and active manner... and looks forwards to better developments between the two sides," he said.
Taiwanese voters in January reelected President Ma Ying-jeou, endorsing the Beijing-friendly policies he has pursued since he took office in 2008.
Since the vote, leading DPP members have debated if it needs to adjust its China policy, in part to reflect Beijing's fast-expanding regional and global influence.
China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing still claims sovereignty over the island and has vowed to bring about reunification even if it means war.
