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MACAU (Reuters) - Taiwan and China reached a landmark deal on Saturday to allow non-stop charter flights over the Chinese New Year holidays, a move which could ease tensions and improve ties between the bitter political rivals. The one-off deal will allow the first direct flights between the foes since 1949, and could mark a step toward ending a decades-old ban on direct air links. "In a very short time, in a cordial atmosphere, we have come to an agreement," Pu Zhaozhou, executive director of China's Civil Aviation Association, told a joint news conference after talks in the southern Chinese...

BEIJING (Reuters) - Relations between China and Taiwan are grim and the Chinese people and army will crush any major moves toward independence at any cost, a government white paper said on Monday. "The situation in the relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits is grim," the white paper on China's national defense said. "Should the Taiwan authorities go so far as to make a reckless attempt that constitutes a major incident of 'Taiwan independence', the Chinese people and armed forces will resolutely and thoroughly crush it at any cost," it said. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province...