The Taiwanese prime minister, Vincent Siew, has offered to review what he called Taiwan's defensive attitude towards mainland China, if Beijing acknowledges that the two sides are ruled by separate governments.

Mr Siew made the offer at a conference on relations with the Chinese mainland.

Relations between China and Taiwan, which Beijing officially regards as a renegade province, have been improving since talks last month.

However, Taiwan's loss this week of another diplomatic ally, the Pacific Kingdom of Tonga, to Beijing has been seen as a major setback for the island.