Chinese President Xi Jinping met with a senior Taiwanese official in Beijing on Thursday, state media said, amid improving relations between the two sides.

Xi met with Wu Poh-hsiung, honorary chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) Party, which governs Taiwan, on the second day of a three-day visit by a high-level delegation, news agency Xinhua said.

Xinhua provided no details on their discussions Thursday, but domestic reports had previously said that they would talk about mainland-Taiwan ties and relations between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party.

Although Taiwan has been governed separately from mainland China since a civil war ended in 1949, Beijing still claims the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou initiated detente with Beijing when he came to power in 2008 and there has been a marked improvement in relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Reports in China quoted Wu as saying the delegation had held talks with KMT chairman Ma before they left for the mainland. Ma is also Taiwan's president -- a position that Beijing does not recognise.

"It is the sixth time that Wu has been to Beijing with visiting delegations, but the first time since Xi became the Party chief in November," the state run China Daily newspaper said.