BEIJING - Chinese communist officials and a leader of Taiwan's Nationalists Wednesday held the highest-level meeting between their parties since civil war split the two sides in 1949, and they called for expanded economic ties.

Chiang Pin-kung, vice chairman of the Nationalists, met with officials of the Communist Party's Taiwan Office and the two sides said they agreed on 10 proposals to expand trade, travel and commercial ties.

The meeting was billed as a dialogue between the parties - not their governments.