China mainland and Taipei National Olympic Committees meet to continue cooperation

The Forum, designed to set a roadmap for the National Olympic Committee (NOC) exchange programme for 2015, will see seven exchange visits from each side spanning the areas of sport and Llegal affairs, women and sport, sports science study and sports medicine and injury prevention.

Also on the agenda will be gold medal coaches, sports industry, sport for all, mega Games experts, sports venue operation and sports journalist spectrums.

Relations between China and Taiwan, as it is known widely internationally, have been characterised by limited contact, tensions, and instability due to both sides vying to be the legitimate Government of China, with naval confrontations in 1954 and 1958 threatening to spill into nuclear war.

Further tension has also been seen in more recent years, but since 2008 there has been an effort to normalise relations between the two, with the start of increasing economic relations.

This has been illustrated by the growth of relations between the COC and the CTOC and, since 1997, the two have gradually expanded the Cross-Strait sport exchange programmes from preliminary discussion to three to seven visits each side per year.

Several Elite Athlete All Star Galas have also been held in the sports of wushu, gymnastics, figure skating, diving and synchronised swimming to strengthening a bilateral relationship between the two NOCs, as well their respective sporting performances.

While China have been among the world's best performing nations in recent times - finishing top of the medals table at Beijing 2008 and second four years later at London 2012 - while Taiwan finished down in 63rd position with one silver and one bronze medal.

Original title by inside the games: Chinese and Chinese Taipei National Olympic Committees meet to continue cooperation