Chinese President Hu Jintao offered on Monday to enter into negotiations with Taiwan to reach a peace agreement in an overture to the self-ruled island which China claims as its own.

However, Hu warned the democratic island against formally declaring independence, but did not take the opportunity to threaten force as predecessors have in the past.

‘’We would like to make a solemn appeal: on the basis of the one-China principle let us discuss a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides (and) reach a peace agreement,’’

Hu said, reading from a prepared statement.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since their split in 1949 when Mao Zedong’s Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek’s defeated Nationalists fled to the island.

In Taipei, the government’s Mainland Affairs Council said it was willing to meet but not if Hu insists that Taiwan is part of China or continues to govern China under one-party rule.

“We hope to meet with China at an early date to discuss democratic development,’’ the council said in a statement.  “But (Hu’s) report lacks any real democratic reform, and the whole country  is grasped by Communist Party dictators.’’