(Photo courtesy of Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc.)

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) Two bottles of liquor from the former battlefield of Kinmen that were served at a dinner following the historic meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) symbolize the development of cross-strait ties from confrontation to peace, a Taiwanese official said Saturday.

The two bottles of Kinmen kaoliang liquor were produced in 1990 -- the year that Taiwan and China signed the groundbreaking Kinmen Agreement, which laid out measures to systematically tackle problems such as repatriation of hijackers, criminals and illegal immigrants across the Taiwan Strait.

The liquor was owned by Kao Hua-chu (高華柱), secretary-general of the National Security Council, who was a senior military officer on the outlying island of Kinmen when the agreement was signed there.

Kao purchased the liquor at the time to commemorate the signing of the agreement, the first of its kind between Taiwan and China since the Republic of China government moved to Taiwan in 1949, Presidential Office spokesman Chen Yi-hsin (陳以信) said on a flight to Singapore earlier in the day.

Cross-strait relations have progressed from confrontation to peace, so it is especially meaningful to serve the two "liquors of peace" at the dinner following the Ma-Xi meeting, Chen said.

The rare liquor, commonly called "Black King Kong" because it comes in a black box, is known for its mellow taste, and is the first generation of aged Kaoliang liquor produced in Kinmen, according to an employee at the Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc.

Industry insiders said that one bottle of "Black King Kong" costs around NT$20,000 (US$611).

(By Huang Hui-min, Hsieh Chia-chen and Christie Chen)
ENDITEM/J