Premier's slip-up puts Taiwan on the map

For a brief moment, Zhu Rongji's swansong speech before stepping down as China's premier appeared to change history. A rare slip of the tongue inadvertently indicated that Beijing's "One China" policy – the long-held position that Taiwan is a renegade province – was over.

"We should further expand the scope of personnel visits between the two countries," Mr Zhu told delegates at the annual National People's Congress.

Suddenly Taiwan, the self-ruled, democratic island of 23 million people, which split from the mainland when the Communists swept to victory in 1949, was a "country".

Mr Zhu swiftly amended his mistake, adding the words "... between the two sides of the Straits", but not without causing a kerfuffle among the assembled press.

China was resolutely opposed to Taiwanese independence, he said. Unusually, he did not repeat a longstanding threat to invade the island if it declared sovereignty. The two sides have been diplomatic and military rivals for more than half a century, and have not been on speaking terms since 1999.

But their economies have become increasingly interdependent, and Taiwan has poured $100bn (£63bn) into China.

Jan Jyh-horng of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday: "Zhu Rongji's speech reiterates Communist China's persistent political stance, but we see a continuation of an improving atmosphere from his report. Both sides want to maintain peaceful interaction."