Since it returned to power on the island in elections in 2008, President Ma Ying-jeou has overseen a marked softening in tone from Taipei towards its giant neighbour, restoring direct flights between the two sides and other measures.
In June 2010, Taiwan and China signed the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, a pact widely characterised as the boldest step yet towards reconciliation.
Yet despite the much-touted detente, Taipei and Beijing have still shunned all official contact, and negotiations have been carried out through proxies.
While these bodies – the quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation representing Taiwan and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits for China — have achieved economic progress, they lack the power to broach deeper-held differences.
Analysts say that only government-level officials can address the lingering sovereignty dispute that sees each side claiming to be the sole legitimate government of China.
Tuesday’s meeting will be watched closely to see whether it could pave the way for talks between Ma and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – although chances of that happening any time soon are slim.
“The current interaction across the Taiwan Strait is quite positive,” said Jia Qingguo, a professor of international studies at Peking University.
Ties have “been developing very fast, but the potential of this relationship has not been fully tapped (by) both sides,” he said.
“But people should not expect too much out of it. It will take time for the two sides to get really integrated.”
Nonetheless the mood surrounding the talks soured in Taiwan after Beijing refused to issue credentials to the Taipei-based Apple Daily and the US government-funded Radio Free Asia at the weekend.
Taiwan said Monday it would raise the issue of press freedom with China during the talks.
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